HC Deb 17 July 1998 vol 316 cc318-9W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many £500 grants have been made for the conversion of vehicles to cleaner fuels. [50332]

Dr. Strang

As announced in the Budget, on 17 March 1998,Official Report, columns 1097–1112, the Government intend to introduce from 1 January 1999, concessionary rates of vehicle excise duty (VED)—worth up to £500—for lorries and buses meeting stringent emissions standards. Thus no vehicles have yet benefited from this concession.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what grants the Government propose to make available for the conversion of taxi cabs to use road fuel gas. [50965]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Government are funding the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme which provides grants towards the conversion of vehicles to run on alternative fuels. The duty on road fuel gases has been frozen for two successive Budgets with a commitment in the July 1997 Budget to maintain the differential that existed at that time between the duty on road fuel gases and the duty on diesel.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce a pilot scheme to monitor the benefits of taxi cabs running on road fuel gas. [50966]

Ms Glenda Jackson

My Department has already been involved in research on the environmental benefits of running a taxi on road fuel gases and we will continue to monitor developments in this area. In addition, the Public Carriage Office is working with manufacturers to encourage the development of alternative greener engines and fuels. The Cleaner Vehicles Task Force has also set up a sub-group to consider the merits of the potential for wider use of alternative fuels. The Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme, funded by Government, provides grants towards alternatively fuelled vehicles, and the costs and performance of vehicles purchased under the scheme will be monitored and evaluated.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he proposes to assist the conversion of buses to use road fuel gases. [51034]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Government are funding the Energy Saving Trust's Powershift programme which provides grants towards the conversion of vehicles to run on alternative fuels. Operators of eligible bus services also receive 100 per cent. rebate on the duty they pay on road fuel gases. The Chancellor announced at the last Budget on 17 March 1998,Official Report, columns 1097–1112, that operators of buses and HGVs, meeting stringent emission standards, would receive a rebate of up to £500 on VED.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce pilot schemes to monitor the advantages and disadvantages of converting buses to use road fuel gases. [51035]

Ms Glenda Jackson

My Department has kept closely in touch with the work that some operators have done on the advantages and disadvantages of converting buses to use road fuel gases, including a number of tests carried out by London Transport Buses.