2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999,
1998,
1997,
1996,
1995,
1994
NOT MUCH GREENER THAN A SMOG ALERT" Friends of the Earth Lashes Brown Over Budget Failure
17 Mar 1998
- Gordon Brown only committed the Government to the EC's 8% carbon
dioxide emissions reduction by the year 2010. Labour fought the Election
promising to meet a 20% target and campaigned at the Kyoto Climate
Summit with that target.
- The VAT cut on installation of energy saving materials to 5% applies
to “certain government grant schemes” only, as FOE
predicted. Some government schemes,many local authority schemes, and
energy saving materials in general
- The Government is still consulting on an aggregates tax, a water
pollution tax and an industrial energy tax. Putting former British
Airways boss Sir Colin Marshall in charge of reviewing the latter
is like putting the fox in charge of the hen coop
- While the landfill tax has been increased from £7 to £10,
it has not been extended to cover incineration
- The principle of cuts in National Insurance as a means to encourage
the creation of jobs is welcome, but money from new green taxes could
have been used to make more radical cuts
Transport
- The promised new investment in public transport of £500 million
over 3 years is welcome but small scale. It could make a difference
if targeted on low cost measures such as bus priority measures, and
help for cyclists and pedestrians
- The £50 million rural transport fund is welcome, but also small
scale
- The principle of variable Vehicle Excise Duty is welcome. But as
well as cuts in VED for the cleanest cars there should be increases
for the larger gas guzzlers
- The road fuel escalator should have been increased above 6%, and
the money used for investment in public transport
- Nothing has been done to tax company parking spaces: privileged
drivers are still gaining from this concession.
Charles Secrett, Executive Director of FOE, said today: “This
was a major missed opportunity. Labour is rapidly forfeiting its claim
to be a green Government. Small improvements in public transport and
a step towards variable road tax do not compensate for a failure to
introduce the radical tax measures that the environment demands. A green
Budget could have been good for jobs, good for the environment, good
for families and good for the future. Instead this Budget is about as
green as a smog alert. The Government cannot meet its manifesto and
Kyoto promises with this Budget.”
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
