Tax pollution, not people, says Beith

10.26.48am GMT Tue 5th Dec 2006

Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick, has welcomed the announcement of a climate change bill in the Queen's Speech, and has joined Liberal Democrat colleagues in calling for the Chancellor to tax pollution and not people in this week's pre-Budget report.

Alan Beith had joined 412 MPs - almost two-thirds of MPs overall, and a majority in every party sitting in Parliament - in signing an Early Day Motion 178 calling for new legislation "so that annual cuts in carbon dioxide emissions of three per cent can be delivered." The Government has responded by promising a Climate Change Bill in its programme of legislation for 2007.

Alan Beith said,

"I've received well over 100 messages from constituents supporting the Friends of the Earth Campaign. I'm more than happy to add my voice to theirs, and I'm very pleased that the Climate Change Bill has been included in the Queen's Speech. A shift in the tax burden from people to pollution is one way in which we can help cut carbon emissions."

Commenting on the pre-Budget report, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary Chris Huhne MP said:

"Labour and the Tories have been woefully irresponsible in talking green but acting brown. We should tax pollution and not people.

"Labour has cut green taxes steadily since 1999, which is why carbon emissions are rising, especially from cars and planes.

"The Tories are just a shambles on green taxes. George Osborne set up a special commission to look at taxes, but in a year's work it did not come up with a single plan for green taxes and said it had not been asked to do so.

"This proves that the Tories are all mouth and no trousers on this issue, and Mr Osborne's efforts to jump on the bandwagon are laughable".