§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what progress she has made in promoting energy efficiency of motor vehicles through environmentally friendly motor sport; [79854] 381W (2) what action she has taken to encourage development of an environmentally friendly specification or formula for motor sport. [79853]
§ Mr. WilsonI am pleased to say that the Department and four Regional Development Agencies (East Midlands, South East England, East of England, and West Midlands) jointly funded a major industry-led initiative called Energy Efficient MotorSport (EEMS). An EEMS working group was established, consisting of a number of companies and individuals with relevant interest and expertise which resulted in a feasibility study published in August 2002, which was commissioned through the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA).
The aim of the study was to assess the role that motorsport could play in the promotion and development of energy efficiency automotive technologies. A follow up EEMS presentation was recently made by the MIA to the world governing body of motorsport to explore how the proposals of the study could be demonstrated in a motor racing context. DTI, RDAs and other involved in the EEMS initiative are planning an industry showcase event and other activities to encourage industry to implement its findings.
In addition, the DTI led Foresight Vehicle programme, the UK's national automotive R & D programme, continue to support collaborative R & D in range of areas including environmental performance (e.g. fuel efficiency, emissions, light weight materials).