Transport: Renewable Fuel Obligation

My honourable friend the Minister of State for Transport (Stephen Ladyman) has made the following Ministerial Statement. I have today published a consultation paper setting out the Government's proposals for implementing the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO). Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The consultation closes on 17 May 2007. The RTFO will require that 5 per cent of all UK road transport fuel comes from a renewable source by 2010 in order to help meet our climate change objectives. The energy review and climate change programme review in 2006 committed the Government to consulting on the details of the scheme in early 2007. The consultation seeks views on the following issues: the detailed design of the scheme and which suppliers will be affected; how suppliers of renewable fuel would report on the carbon savings and wider impacts of those fuels; and how the RTFO might develop over time and the nature and level of the obligation after 2010-11. Further information is available from the departmental website at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/.