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<p>The Government takes the unacceptable actions of Volkswagen (VW) Group extremely
seriously. As we investigate what went wrong and what we can do to stop it happening
again, the priority of course remains to protect the public. We expect VW to take
every step necessary to protect its UK customers, but it is right that the Government
carry out their own thorough and independent investigation.</p><br /><p>A written
statement was made today (10 November) informing the House of the latest developments
on the Department for Transport’s vehicle emissions testing programme, following the
revelations that VW had fitted defeat devices to some of its vehicles.</p><br /><p>The
Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is working to confirm that this issue is not industry
wide. They have tested two VW group vehicles known to contain a defeat device and
will rerun laboratory tests on popular cars sold in the UK to compare real world driving
emissions against laboratory performance. This will include measuring CO<sub>2</sub>
.</p><br /><p>The Secretary of State spoke to Dr Herbert Deiss of VW on 4 November
to discuss CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, seeking information on those vehicles affected
in the UK and the extent of the discrepancy. VW have stated that they are working
hard to clarify the situation and are liaising with relevant approval authorities.</p><br
/><p>The Secretary of State has written jointly with the Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills to VW seeking clarification on several issues. Separately, officials
from the Department for Transport, and its Agencies have held a number of discussions
with VW regarding the recall of affected vehicles.</p><br /><p>The Department for
Transport has not made a specific assessment of on road emissions in relation to type
approval requirements, but officials are aware of the findings in published reports
suggesting significant differences.</p>
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