Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report on emissions from non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) engines published by Ricardo Energy and Environment, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on (a) banning or (b) limiting the use of NRMM engines, including those used in the transportation of food.

Neither the Secretary of State nor I have had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on this subject to date.

In January 2017, new legislation came into force with more stringent emission limits for major air pollutants from engines used in NRMM. It extends the scope of existing legislation to cover all sizes of petrol and diesel engines used in NRMM and it improves the legal framework. As of January 2019, new emission standards are mandatory for new engines being sold, for the first tranche of categories.

The Government also announced that it will remove the entitlement to use red diesel from April 2022 for many sectors, which will have benefits for air quality as red diesel is currently a cheaper fuel option for use in NRMM, whether for power lawnmowers, refrigerated lorries or excavators. This change will incentivise diesel fuel users to improve the energy efficiency of their machinery, invest in cleaner alternatives, or just use less fuel. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has also recently launched a Red Diesel Replacement competition, to support the development and production of innovative clean energy technologies that affected businesses can switch to.

In addition, following recent work to improve the evidence base about different NRMM and their emissions, which involved working with industry and sector experts, we are now considering next steps. As set out in the Clean Air Strategy, the Government is considering the options to reduce emissions from non-road mobile machinery, and this research will help ensure that we have a robust and accurate evidence base from which to consider policy options.