Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

HC Deb 28 April 1998 vol 311 cc84-5W

Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will institute an annual assessment of the most environmentally friendly vehicles produced by British-based manufacturers. [39672]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Government recognise the strong role that information on the environmental performance of vehicles has to play in developing the market for greener vehicles, alongside fiscal and other instruments. Information on fuel economy for individual models of passenger car has been published for some years in the Government's bi-annual "New Car Fuel Consumption Booklet"; this publication has recently been expanded to include details of CO₂ emissions on the same model by model basis. Discussions with the industry on the further expansion of the booklet to include information on pollutants which affect local air quality, e.g. NOx and particulates, are being taken forward under the auspices of the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force.