Mr. Alex CathieTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to reduce the level of vehicle exhaust pollution in London; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeOur proposals to reduce vehicle exhaust pollution are not specific to London. We have participated actively in discussions within the EC about controls on vehicle emissions. I am pleased to say that following a decision in the EC Environment Council on 20 December 1990, strict new emission standards will apply to all new petrol driven cars from 31 December 1992 and as a result such cars will have to be fitted with catalytic convertors. We are now pressing for strict standards for gaseous and particulate emissions from goods vehicles and buses. In 1991, for the first time, we also propose to include an emissions check in the annual MOT test. Duty differentials in favour of unleaded petrol are encouraging its widespread use and it now accounts for almost 40 per cent. of all petrol sold in this country.