§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 15 January,Official Report, column 46, what was the sample size of the 1988 survey which showed 3.6 per cent. of heavy goods vehicles emitting excessive smoke; and what results were obtained from the regional roadside visual checks of exhaust smoke from heavy goods vehicles undertaken by his Department's vehicle inspectorate in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe figures requested are:
590W
Year and region Number checked Number emitting excess smoke Per cent, emitting excess smoke 1985 North 18,637 663 3.56 Scotland 8,583 640 7.46 South West and Wales 17,050 1,690 9.91 South East 22,855 2,703 11.83 1985 National 67,125 5,696 8.49 1986 North 17,032 805 4.73 Scotland 7489 300 401 South West and Wales 11,731 1,083 9.23 South East 20,821 2,154 10.35
Year and region Number checked Number emitting excess smoke Per cent, emitting excess smoke 1986 National 57,073 4,342 7.61 1987 North 21,029 894 4.25 Scotland 7,130 199 2.79 South West and Wales 13,368 1,242 9.29 South East 29,338 2,532 8.63 1987 National 70,865 4,867 6.87 1988 North 7,824 235 3.00 Scotland 3,817 68 1.78 South West and Wales 10,195 475 4.66 South East 17,726 650 3.67 1988 National 39,562 1,428 3.61 1989 North 8,874 275 3.10 Scotland 4,175 48 1.15 South West and Wales 6,921 263 3.80 South East 12,938 346 2.67 1989 National 32,908 932 2.83
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about pollution from motor vehicles, including motor cycles, detected by his Department's vehicle inspectorate since 1986, including excessive smoke emissions and excessive noise; and whether he will in future take steps to publish annually a separate analysis of such information.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe percentages of heavy goods and passenger service vehicles failing their annual test for excess smoke or for defective exhaust systems are as follows:
Excess smoke Defective exhaust PSV Percentage HGV Percentage PSV Percentage HGV Percentage 1986–87 1.34 1.09 2.29 0.97 1987–88 1.60 1.18 2.86 1.11 1988–89 1.42 1.06 2.76 1.72 The percentages of vehicles selected at random seen emitting excess smoke during roadside surveys were:
Heavy goods vehicles (Statistical checks) Percentage Public service vehicles (Deregulation survey) Percentage 1985 8.49 — 1986 7.61 — 1987 6.87 1.89 1988 3.61 1.18 1989 2.83 1.31 The numbers of cars, light goods vehicles and motor cycles failing their MOT test for excess noise is not recorded separately. There are currently no checks for excess emissions in the MOT test.
591WThe vehicle inspectorate executive agency publishes statistics relating to its work in its annual report, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. It is going to expand the amount of data it publishes.