Mr. Jon Owen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research the Government have commissioned on the impact of petrol and diesel prices on(a) miles travelled, (b) the sales of more fuel-efficient vehicles and (c) the design and promotion by manufacturers of fuel-efficient vehicles. [143171]
§ Mr. Hill[holding answer 18 December 2000]: Government research over many years has helped to assess the impact of fuel prices on traffic levels and the development and purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles and has contributed to the Government's strategic transport and environmental modelling capacity. Recent 565W research by DETR, described in Annex C of 'Modelling using the National Road Traffic Forecasting framework for "Tackling Congestion and Pollution" and "Transport 2010: The 10 Year Plan" ' published in December, has assessed the impact of changes in fuel prices on car traffic levels. Current DETR research includes analysis of the factors influencing both customers' new car purchasing decisions and future fuel efficiency improvements.
Data showing trends in fuel consumption and emissions of CO2 from road transport are published in a variety of sources including the "UK Air Emissions Inventory, Climate Change—The UK Programme" and "Transport Statistics Great Britain".