Of course that is not the only option. The other option is to build more solar panels and more wind farms, and I am delighted to see that there is a gradual rolling out of those facilities across the country. The noble Lord is entirely right that as we build more we will use it all, as we should.
I have no doubt about the need for this legislation, because the UK transport sector is responsible for the largest share of domestic greenhouse gas production and has seen relatively little reduction in the amount it produces since 1990, in contrast with other sectors. Cars and vans alone create 18% of the UK’s total domestic greenhouse gas emissions. There are also, of course, strong health reasons to support this legislation, because air pollution in particularly densely trafficked areas is a cause of lung and heart disease, and even has links to dementia.
So the Government’s recent U-turn on their rhetoric about the date for phasing out the combustion engine was at least confusing and at worst reprehensible, because it has slowed down the transition to zero-emission vehicles and has had a negative impact on manufacturers and their investment. They have told me about their concern. The problem is that the media have obediently repeated that change in rhetoric and it has caused confusion.
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I strongly welcome the principles of this order; it implements the ZEV mandate, with yearly targets for cars and vans which must be zero-emission. This applies only to new vehicles, so it is important to point out that, as a policy, it has a long tail, because there will of course be people buying second-hand, third-hand or fourth-hand vehicles, and those sales will continue for decades.
The policy introduces—and I admire the Government’s response on this—a series of what I regard as cunning schemes to incentivise manufacturers to produce more ZEVs, by penalising those that fall short. There are plenty of sticks involved in this policy, but where are the carrots? This is a macro mechanism to steer manufacturers in the right direction, and I know that they welcome that, but consumers, many of whom are now confused by government rhetoric, need carrots to encourage them to buy electric vehicles.
I have some questions. The first is very precise. The van targets are lower than those for cars—70% sales by 2030 as opposed to 80% for cars. I simply ask the Minister why. Light vans have the same technology as cars and often, as a class of vehicle, tend to do more miles than domestic family cars, so their potential contribution to climate change is higher.
Secondly, members of ChargeUK, the charge point operator industry body, are concerned about the impact of the change in government rhetoric on investment in the charge point sector. Of course, there are also serious constraints on grid capacity in some areas, which is affecting the rollout of charge points. I want to raise with the Minister the disparity between one set of areas and another in the number of charge points per electric vehicle owned. There are some places in Britain where there is one charge point for every three EVs, whereas other areas in Essex, Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire—not every area in those counties but some local authorities—have over 50 electric vehicles per public charge point. That is not practical in the long term. Rural areas are a particular problem; that will not surprise anyone.
There are some understandable reasons why some types of vehicle are exempt from the schemes the Government are introducing, and I understand in
respect of small-volume manufacturers. I also understand why wheelchair-accessible vehicles are exempt, but I will just press the Minister on this issue. This is the kind of exemption that could become a loophole. Do the Government have a good, tight definition of what they mean by wheelchair-accessible vehicles?
I am glad to see the Government working with the devolved Administrations on this policy in Scotland and Wales, but of course, as the noble Lord pointed out, Northern Ireland cannot have these regulations applying to it and has a separate scheme. What liaison has there been between the Republic of Ireland Government and the UK Government on the way in which the Northern Ireland scheme will operate?
I shall explain my reasoning. I am concerned in case the scheme that will operate in Northern Ireland would put retailers, sellers and manufacturers of cars in that place at a disadvantage with those selling in the Republic, and I am very concerned that British manufacturers and British auto traders are given the best possible opportunity.
Predicted sales of electric vehicles were recently revised downwards as a result of the Government’s change of policy. What is the Government’s official estimate of the impact on sales of EVs of the change of date?
The Government have retained plans, albeit delayed, but their ambitions are being impeded almost on a daily basis by media coverage, some of it wildly inaccurate, about electric vehicles. How are the Government planning to combat this misinformation, which is having a bad effect on automotive industry sales and is of concern to those manufacturers?
There has been a trend over many years towards heavier and larger vehicles on our roads. Electric vehicles do not do anything to reduce this issue. Heavier vehicles have an impact on road surfaces and congestion. What plans do the Government have to incentivise and encourage people to buy smaller and lighter vehicles? It has a real impact on the cost to local authorities, for example, of road repairs. They could, for example, use this scheme to award additional credits under the ZEV mandate to sales of lighter vehicles. Can the Minister tell us what the Government plan to do about heavier vans and HGVs?
Finally, this is all connected with the period up to 2030. Up to 2030, the regulations include CO2 from vehicles that are not zero-emission. Will the Minister explain what happens after 2030?
I realise there are a lot of questions there. I am sure the Minister will not be able to answer all of them here, but I would be grateful if he could in due course write to me about those issues that he is not able to answer now.