§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on pollution caused by older cars, lorries and buses. [87898]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonResearch into the emission performance of older vehicles is regularly undertaken by my Department, to inform the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory and other air quality models. This involves the comprehensive testing of in-use vehicles of different ages, under different driving conditions. The Cleaner Vehicles Task Force has also been looking at the contribution of older vehicles to traffic pollution, in order to identify the most cost-effective options for reducing emissions from vehicles already in use.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to support the development of new technologies which can be fitted to older vehicles to reduce their emissions; and if he will make a statement. [87899]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Government are pleased to support the use of technologies to reduce the environmental impact of older vehicles. We provide a VED incentive of up to £1,000 to hauliers and bus operators whose vehicles meet high environmental standards. These standards can be reached through conversion to run on alternative fuels, or the fitment of technologies like particulate traps. Through the Foresight Vehicle LINK programme, the Government are providing £12 million to support the development of a wide range of automotive related technologies. These include exhaust after-treatment systems which can be retrofitted to existing vehicles, as well as hybrid drive systems and lightweight materials for use in the next generation of vehicles. The Cleaner Vehicles Task Force has also been looking at what the most cost-effective solutions for reducing emissions from vehicles in use are.