HC Deb 09 July 2002 vol 388 c806W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce air pollution caused by car use in London. [67578]

Mr. Jamieson

Central and local government both have a role to play in reducing air pollution caused by car use in London.

The Government has introduced a range of measures to encourage environmentally friendly transport. These include lower fuel duties for cleaner fuels and grants under the PowerShift and CleanUp programmes to help car owners, hauliers and transport operators to buy or convert vehicles to run on cleaner fuels such as LPG natural gas and electricity.

The Mayor of London has produced a Transport Strategy for London and is due to produce an Air Quality very shortly which will contain policies to reduce air pollution from vehicles.

London boroughs have a key role to play through the Local Air Quality Management regime. Most boroughs have drawn up, or are in the process of drawing up, air quality action plans under section 84 of the Environment Act 1995, setting out what they are doing to improve air quality in their areas. These action plans are likely to include measures targeted at reducing emissions from road transport.