Oxygenated Petrol And Improved Air Quality

EDM number 1644 in 1993-94, proposed by Jim Dowd on 24/10/1994.

That this House urges the Government to investigate as a matter of urgency the introduction of oxygenated petrol in the United Kingdom by either legislation and/or tax relief for oil companies; notes the introduction of oxygenated petrol in Finland and the United States where last year, exhaust emissions in Colorado were reduced by 25 per cent. as a result; further notes evidence given to the recent Select Committee on Air Pollution in London that the major cause of United Kingdom air pollution is road transport and that illness from air pollution costs Britain at least ú1 billion a year for asthma alone; is aware that senior toxicology experts believe that most cases of leukaemia are caused by benzene and that a formulation of oxygenated petrol reduces, for example, the benzene content of exhaust emissions by up to 30 per cent.; is further aware that ozone production at ground level is reduced by oxygenated petrol and that high levels of ozone causes respiratory problems and that in July this year the World Health Organisation guideline limit for ozone in the United Kingdom was exceeded 18 times; understands that cars and petrol stations do not have to be adapted to take oxygenated petrol and that the benefits of oxygenated petrol are apparent even when catalytic converters are less efficient before becoming warmed up; recognises that industry benefits from stimulated investment and new products as shown by the experience of the Neste Oy oil company in Finland where oxygenated petrol almost completely dominates the market; congratulates the newly-launched Clean Air Through Oxygen Campaign for its cogent, comprehensive and well-argued case for the introduction of oxygenated petrol; and now urges the Government to review its policy as a matter of urgency to improve air quality in the United Kingdom and the health of millions of people.

This motion has been signed by a total of 36 MPs.