To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to excise duty on freight vehicles on pollution emission targets. [78842]

Vehicle excise duty (VED) for heavy goods vehicles was frozen for all but the new classes of vehicles with 11.5 tonne axle weights. Rates for these classes were set in the Budget with the aim of discouraging their use, in view of the significant additional road damage they cause. In the 1998 Budget, the Chancellor announced a general review of VED for goods vehicles, with the intention of ensuring that VED rates more accurately reflect these vehicles' environmental impact; this work is proceeding.The 1999 Budget also doubled the maximum VED concession for reduced pollution lorries and buses to £1,000. We expect this to act as a further incentive to operators to adapt their vehicles to meet stringent particulate emission standards.