§ Mr. HowardTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the vehicles available to buy new in the United Kingdom with carbon dioxide emissions of 100 grammes/kilometre or less, which will qualify for the new low carbon vehicle excise duty band. [110239]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Government announced in Budget 2003 the introduction of a new low carbon VED band for cars with carbon dioxide emissions of 100 grammes/kilometre or less. This measure is designed to improve further the signals faced by motorists about their choice of vehicle.
There are currently no cars on sale in the UK that fall into this new band. However, cars which fall into the band have been on sale in the UK before, and are currently on sale in other European countries. The Government expect more cars to fall into it in the near future. The new band demonstrates that the Government are taking a long-term approach to encouraging the use of cleaner vehicles. The Government set themselves a target in its Powering Future Vehicles strategy last year that by 2012, 10 per cent. of new cars sold should have carbon dioxide emissions of 100 grammes/kilometre or less. This is a positive step in that direction.