§ Mr. SummersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to require new cars to be capable of using unleaded petrol; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyInterested parties are being consulted today on draft regulations which will require new vehicles to be capable of running on unleaded petrol. The proposals pick up the earliest dates permitted in community directive 88/76/EEC, which are:
Vehicle Size New Type Approvals All New Registrations Large (>2000cc) 1 October 1988 1 October 1990 Medium (1400–2000cc) 1 October 1989 1 October 1990 Small (1400cc) 1 October 1989 1 October 1990 The directive requires us to make special arrangements for the small number of vehicles that would need major engineering change to comply. The draft regulations allow for this.
Catalyst-equipped cars will be required to have narrow fuel filler inlets so that only the smaller nozzles fitted to unleaded petrol pumps can be used. All other vehicles will have the alternative of being marked to show that they can run on unleaded petrol.
We are also taking the opportunity to tidy up the gaseous emission regulations by eliminating the obsolete option of compliance with directive 78/665/EEC (or EEC regulation 15.03) from 1 October 1990. The draft regulations also formally recognise the emission limits in directive 88/76/EEC.