HC Deb 14 July 1999 vol 335 cc189-90W
Mr. Woolas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the amount by which petrol prices would have to rise in order to reduce UK road traffic levels by one per cent. per year, cumulatively for each of the next 15 years. [89364]

Ms Glenda Jackson

The Government's fuel duty policy is primarily intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from road transport, as part of our strategy to tackle climate change. It is, however, also one element of the package of measures we are implementing, following last year's Integrated Transport White Paper, to tackle traffic growth. We will publish our first report under the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998, on the issue of whether to set a national traffic reduction target, by the end of this year.