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>
A written statement was made today (10 November) informing the House of the latest developments on the Department for Transport\u2019s vehicle emissions testing programme, following the revelations that VW had fitted defeat devices to some of its vehicles.<\/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 CO2<\/sub> .<\/p> The Secretary of State spoke to Dr Herbert Deiss of VW on 4 November to discuss CO2<\/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> 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> 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "14759"}
, {"_value" : "14778"}
, {"_value" : "14847"}
, {"_value" : "14963"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-11-10T12:34:24.647Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions, on what dates and by what medium he has had with Volkswagen about the reliability of carbon dioxide emissions data for its vehicles; and what response he has received from Volkswagen in those discussions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Richard Burden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Northfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Richard Burden"}
], "uin" : "14846"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/426176", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/426176/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " 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> A written statement was made today (10 November) informing the House of the latest developments on the Department for Transport\u2019s vehicle emissions testing programme, following the revelations that VW had fitted defeat devices to some of its vehicles.<\/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 CO2<\/sub> .<\/p> The Secretary of State spoke to Dr Herbert Deiss of VW on 4 November to discuss CO2<\/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> 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> 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-11-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "14759"}
, {"_value" : "14778"}
, {"_value" : "14846"}
, {"_value" : "14963"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-11-10T12:34:24.707Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Volkswagen vehicles have been retested for emissions by the Vehicle Certification Agency to date; what the outcome of those retests has been; how many vehicles are still to be retested; and when he expects all retests to be completed.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/301", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Richard Burden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Northfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Richard Burden"}
], "uin" : "14847"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/422459", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/422459/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/strong><\/p> There has been no assessment made at national level.<\/p> The government has been at the forefront of action at a European level to introduce real driving emissions (RDE) testing, to ensure tests of all new passenger cars and vans accurately represent performance out on the road and ensure public confidence. We will continue to press for the introduction of RDE at the earliest opportunity.<\/p> <\/strong><\/p> In the UK, the Vehicle Certification Agency conducts tests on vehicles and components to ensure they meet the minimum standards required by European and UN-ECE legislation.<\/p> Emissions tests are carried out to determine that the level of pollutants emitted from a vehicle is below the required limits. The test is a laboratory based test under controlled conditions in order to achieve repeatable results.<\/p> The Department for Transport recognises the current test cycle for emissions is outdated and no longer represents normal driving patterns. Discussions have taken place over recent years to replace this with an updated more relevant laboratory test. The Department anticipates this will be implemented from 2017. In addition, a new real world driving emissions test is being implemented to ensure emissions in normal driving comply with the legal obligation. These new tests will remove the ability of car manufacturers to falsify test results.<\/p> All new vehicles are tested in accordance with EU law to ensure that they meet the legislated requirements for emissions. There is no evidence that these emissions tests have been falsified in the UK.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3996", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Jones"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harrogate and Knaresborough"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrew Jones"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-16T12:47:47.603Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that automotive manufacturers have not falsified emissions data in the same manner as Volkswagen has done.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"}
], "uin" : "11659"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/420295", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/420295/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The certification of aero-engines is primarily the responsibility of the certification authority for the state of manufacture. In Europe this is the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) who also have oversight of engines certified in other regions that expect to be registered in the UK or any other European country. We are in discussion with EASA as to how we might be reassured that the results for aviation certifications are robust. The certification requirement for Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Carbon Monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbon is based on operating the engine on a test bed at different thrust settings to simulate the landing and take-off phases of flight below 3000 feet. The visible smoke test identifies the worst case condition for smoke. A new standard for CO2 emissions from aircraft is being developed and is expected to assess the cruise emissions as this phase dominates total fuel burn. EASA certification engineers would verify the fuel burn on tightly controlled test flights. The Secretary of State informed the Transport Select Committee on 12th October that the current focus of the Government\u2019s investigation into the use of defeat devices is focussed on cars and light commercial vehicles.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1562", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scarborough and Whitby"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robert Goodwill"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "11164"}
, {"_value" : "11165"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-15T13:47:08.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will include aero-engines in the scope of his inquiry into whether car manufacturers in the UK have been using emission cheat devices.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4062", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond Park"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Zac Goldsmith"}
], "uin" : "11163"}
], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 5, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]}
}
"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-30T09:25:01.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of the case for establishing a national testing regime routinely to measure vehicle emissions under real operating conditions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3792", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Whitchurch"}
], "uin" : "HL2784"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421183", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/421183/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "