HC Deb 20 November 2001 vol 375 cc219-20W
Mr. Heath

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to prepare for the European Commission's draft directive target of 2 per cent. road fuel provision by biofuel by 2005. [15615]

Mr. Jamieson

The draft Directive on the "Promotion of biofuels for transport" has yet to be discussed by member states, and it is premature to consider its implementation. The Government have already announced that biodiesel will attract a fuel duty rate of 20 pence per litre below the rate for ultra low sulphur diesel, to be introduced in Budget 2002. Bioethanol is one of the fuels to which the Government are offering support for research through piloting as part of the Green Fuels Challenge programme.

Mr. Heath

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what criteria he has used to assess the environmental benefits of(a) wheat grain and (b) cellulosic biomass as source material for bioethanol production. [15308]

Mr. Jamieson

The Government assess the environmental benefits of fuels including bioethanol produced from various feedstocks on a lifecycle basis. This includes consideration of air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts such as noise, waste, biodegradability and biodiversity. Bioethanol is one of the fuels to which the Government are offering support for research, through piloting, as part of the Green Fuels Challenge programme in order to foster the development of lower-carbon bioethanol.

Mr. Heath

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport. Local Government and the Regions what recent comparison he has made of the relative greenhouse gas emissions of(a) biodiesel, (b) bioethanol, (c) compressed natural gas and (d) liquid petroleum gas. [15614]

Mr. Jamieson

The Government launched the Green Fuels Challenge in November 2000, consulting industry and environmental groups on the possible environmental and health and safety aspects of the range of alternative fuels, including biodiesel, bioethanol, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. The outcome of the first stage of the Challenge was announced in the 2001 Budget. The criteria used for the consultation and a summary of the Green Fuels Challenge preliminary results are available on DTLR's and DEFRA's websites.