§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport which agencies are charged with controlling and enforcing vehicle pollution levels; and what assistance they receive from his Department. [39904]
§ Mr. NorrisThe Department's Vehicle Certification Agency is responsible for ensuring that new motor vehicle types conform with pre-registration type approval requirements, which include the internationally agreed standards relating to emissions.
After a vehicle has entered into service, the Department's Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency enforces emissions standards both at annual roadworthiness tests and at the roadside. The agency's own personnel carry out annual tests on heavy vehicles and also carry out compliance checks on all types of vehicle at the roadside. Annual emissions checks on light vehicles are carried out under the MOT testing scheme, which is supervised by the agency.
The agencies' approval and testing activities are financed by fees paid by applicants although a public expenditure survey allocation is made to them each year to finance their enforcement activities.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many heavy goods vehicles were tested on emission standards as a percentage of the total in 1994; and how many of them were(a) prohibited and (b) prosecuted. [39902]
§ Mr. NorrisThis is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate Executive Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 27 October 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning emission standards testing of heavy goods vehicles during 1994.879WEvery heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is tested for emission standards at annual test. In the financial year 1994/95, the Vehicle Inspectorate tested 447,660 HGVs. Of those that failed, 1.6% failed because of excess emissions. In the same period, the Inspectorate inspected 128,116 vehicles at the roadside. All were examined at least visually for excess emissions. 16,000 were put through an instrumented check. The roadside checks resulted in the issue of 450 prohibitions for excess emissions and one prosecution.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what course of action his Department advises motorists to take if they see gross emissions from other vehicles and wish to report it in order that authorities can take appropriate action. [39895]
§ Mr. NorrisMembers of the public are encouraged to report excessively smoky heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles to the Vehicle Inspectorate. The procedure for doing so is explained in detail in a leaflet we published originally in August 1993 and re-launched in March this year. I have placed copies of the up-to-date leaflet in the Library.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to allowing local authorities to stop vehicles in order to carry out emissions tests. [40059]
§ Mr. NorrisThere are no plans to change the law which only permits police officers to stop vehicles. Enabling regulations could, however, be made under the provisions of section 87 of the Environment Act 1995 to permit local authorities, with police support, to carry out emissions checks on vehicles using the road. We are currently consulting with interested parties on how this might be done in practice.