HC Deb 22 June 1998 vol 314 cc360-1W
Mr. Waterson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he has made available to promote research into green fuel technology. [45442]

Ms Glenda Jackson

A £60,000 "Life cycle" study of alternative road transport fuels, co-funded by the former Department of Transport and the Department of Trade and Industry, was published in March 1996. A further £1.2 million three year field trial of alternative fuels, funded by DETR, MAFF and DTI, aimed at quantifying their environmental benefits and viability in comparison with conventional fuels under UK conditions, has now been completed. Publication of the report is imminent.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statistics he has collected on the numbers of(a) local authorities and (b) transport undertakings which have converted their fleets, in whole or part, to run on compressed natural gas, LPG and electricity. [46126]

Ms Glenda Jackson

We do not collect these statistics. However, we do collect statistics on the numbers of vehicle licensed by propulsion type. In 1997, 9,100 vehicles were registered as running on gas or petrol and gas, and 17,400 on electricity. Of the registered electric vehicles, the majority fell into the special concessionary group, which consists largely of plant and agricultural vehicles, and exempt vehicles (emergency vehicles, vehicles registered to disabled drivers and vehicles over 25 years old). Of the gas vehicles, 6,700 are private and light goods vehicles. The Natural Gas Vehicles Association estimate that 50–55 local authorities have one or more compressed natural gas vehicles in their fleet. The LPG association believe that several local authorities are using LPG, along with a number of fleet operators such as bus operators and the police. The Electric Vehicles Association state that a number of local authorities have ordered electric vehicles.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with companies operating depot-based vehicle fleets on the merits of converting vehicles to compressed natural gas. [46127]

Ms Glenda Jackson

Ministers have spoken about the merits of converting fleets to run on gas fuels on a number of occasions to audiences including large fleet operators and local authorities. In addition, the Government have provided £6 million of funding to the Energy Saving Trust for its three year Powershift programme which promotes the use of alternative fuels like compressed natural gas by providing grants of up to half the capital cost of converting a vehicle to run on alternative fuel, and put in place a number of fiscal incentives to encourage the use of gas fuels.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures his Department has undertaken since May 1997 to encourage local authorities to provide environmentally-friendly forms of public transport. [46044]

Ms Glenda Jackson

Under the National Air Quality Strategy, through the process of local air quality management, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that National Air Quality Strategy objectives are met in their areas. The Government have introduced a number of measures to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly public transport to help with this process. At the last Budget, 17 March 1998,Official Report, columns 1097–1112, the Chancellor announced that a graduated VED scheme for buses with an incentive of up to £500 for those vehicles meeting stringent emissions standards would begin on 1 January 1999. He also announced the creation of a greater duty differential between ordinary diesel and ultra low sulphur diesel, providing a greater incentive for operators to use this cleaner fuel, and that the Government will consult on how bus fuel rebate can better be targeted to help operators who run cleaner vehicles. The duty on road fuel gases was also frozen for the second successive budget.