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31st March 2008

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will
consider suspending the renewable transport fuel obligation until
comprehensive certification and assessment schemes are put in place.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have made clear that we will not
support any increase in biofuel targets until we are satisfied that
the biofuels can be delivered sustainably. That remains our position,
and we are negotiating hard to ensure that future EU biofuel targets
are underpinned by mandatory sustainability criteria Which are as
robust and wide-ranging as possible.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007 implements the
RTFO scheme and the Government could not suspend the introduction of
the RTFO without amending or repealing the order. The new amending or
repealing order would require consultation in accordance with the
Energy Act 2004 and would be subject to the affirmative resolution
procedure, with debates in both Houses of Parliament.

The Government believe that suspending the introduction of the
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) until such time as
mandatory, EU-wide sustainability criteria for biofuels are in place
would be counter-productive. The reporting requirements under the
RTFO will cause suppliers to develop systems for capturing
environmental and sustainability information which will help prepare
for the introduction of mandatory standards and inform the
development of those standards. In addition, the UK is widely
perceived as playing a leading role in developing a sustainability
framework for biofuels through the reporting requirements under the
RTFO. Abandoning this could marginalise us in EU negotiations, and
give other member states greater influence over the direction of the
EU's future biofuel policies.


Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation: Crops

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what
steps she is taking to ensure that the Renewable Transport Fuels
Obligation will not result in a conflict between the need to grow
crops for both food and fuel. [197762]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) will have a
statutory duty to report annually to Ministers on the effects of the
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), including the indirect
effects such as impacts on food and commodity prices. These reports
will inform the development of the Government's longer term biofuel
policies.

The Government have also asked the Renewable Fuels Agency to lead an
urgent review of the potential indirect impacts of biofuel
production. This will, among other things, consider the risk that
biofuel policies will affect international food commodity prices in
the period to 2020. The terms of reference for this review are
available via the Department for Transport's website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/