§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the 761W relationship between a petrol price increase and the opportunities for mobility in rural communities.
§ Mr. NorrisHigher fuel prices play an important part in meeting the threat of global warming by encouraging people to reduce their fuel consumption in a variety of ways. One is by purchasing smaller, more fuel—efficient cars and another is by driving less through making shorter or less frequent journeys or switching to other less polluting modes of transport. A further way is by adopting a sensible driving technique and keeping vehicles properly tuned and maintained.
There is less scope for switching to other modes, which is more likely in rural areas, but we would expect individuals to place more emphasis on the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. Statistics reveal that rural motorists currently achieve fewer miles per gallon than their urban counterparts. This flexibility of response illustrates the benefits of fuel price increases over other mechanisms for reducing fuel use, such as vehicle regulation.