§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on recent developments in the uptake of LPG as a road fuel, with reference to the number and cost of Powershift grants and other incentives, and the number of vehicles of different types converted to duel fuelling. [132909]
§ Mr. HillThe demand for LPG vehicles, in particular for LPG dual fuel cars, is growing strongly thanks in large part to Government fuel duty incentives for road gas fuels and the Powershift programme, which is sponsored by my Department. In recognition of this increasing demand, my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Macdonald of Tradeston announced earlier this year an increase in the Powershift budget to £10 million—almost a threefold increase on last year.
Between 1 April and 30 June, Powershift grants totalling £2.5 million were offered towards the purchase of 2,077 LPG vehicles. Over the course of this financial year, Powershift expects to support the purchase of over 5,000 LPG vehicles. This is in addition to the 17,000 gas powered vehicles already registered with the DVLA at the end of 1999.