Oral Answers to Questions

Kerry McCarthy Excerpts

Thursday 21st March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to reduce transport emissions.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

2. What steps he is taking to reduce transport emissions.

[Emma Dent Coad (Kensington) (Lab)]

6. What steps he is taking to reduce transport emissions.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jesse Norman]

I am grateful for that question, and delighted by Labour’s recently rediscovered interest in emissions. The hon. Gentleman will know that many of the areas that he mentions—I say this as former Energy Minister—have been colossal successes. In the offshore wind industry, for example, the required levels of subsidy have fallen dramatically over time, as have the costs. As I said, we have the “Road to Zero” strategy. We also have the “Aviation 2050” Green Paper and the “Maritime 2050” strategy, all of which are designed to reduce emissions.

[Kerry McCarthy]

Over the past decade, Bristol has seen a 40% rise in bus use, which is obviously really good, but there is a downside in that buses and coaches contribute almost a quarter of NOx emissions in the city. We have been doing what we can to retrofit the bus stock, but we have just put in a bid for £2.5 million from the clean bus technology fund so that we can retrofit another 170 buses. Will the Government support that?

[Jesse Norman]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for that question on an issue of great importance—reducing emissions from buses. We have done quite a lot of that already. I am sure that the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani), will look forward to receiving the bid and will carefully examine it with her officials.