HC Deb 16 December 1987 vol 124 cc520-1W
Mr. Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any representations from the tourist industry as to the problems which many European tourists face obtaining unleaded petrol in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Moynihan

My right hon. Friend has received no recent representations.

The British Tourist Authority is represented on the unleaded petrol group which I chair and which meets regularly to review progress on the introduction of unleaded petrol.

With some 530 petrol stations selling unleaded petrol throughout the United Kingdom, tourists should not find it difficult to obtain unleaded petrol in most areas. Information on outlets selling unleaded petrol is available from tourist bodies and the motoring organisations.

Mr. Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any further proposals to increase the use of unleaded petrol.

Mr. Moynihan

Following the adoption of the "Luxembourg Package" on 3 December by the EC Council of Environment Ministers, we will now be able to require new cars to be capable of running on unleaded petrol. This we shall do from the earliest possible dates. Unleaded petrol already benefits from a favourable excise duty differential.

Mr. Squire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, using the latest available year in each case, information available to him on the proportion of petrol sold in each of the European Community countries represented by unleaded petrol.

Mr. Moynihan

Information on the sale of unleaded petrol in Europe has been provided by the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association.

The table gives data for the last full year for which information is available, and the association's estimates for the half year to June 1987.

Country Unleaded petrol sales as percentage of national total
1986 January to June 1987
Belgium neg.
Denmark 12 29
Federal Republic of Germany 11 22
France neg. neg.
Greece neg. neg.
Ireland neg. neg.
Italy neg. neg.
Luxembourg neg.
Netherlands neg. 19
Portugal neg. neg.
Spain neg. neg.
United Kingdom neg. neg.

neg.=less than 0.5 per cent.

—=no data.