Transport committee demands further answers from VW

The Transport Committee is demanding further answers in the aftermath of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.   

In what it describes as the absence of adequate answers from Paul Willis, managing director of Volkswagen UK, on the company’s actions following the emissions scandal, it has written to the chairman of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, Hans Dieter Pötsch. 

A letter seeking updates from the Government has also been sent to the transport minister John Hayes.

Committee chairman Louise Ellman said: “UK consumers must not be the poor relations while the US benefits from proper redress. They deserve a full response to their concerns.

“The Transport Committee has consistently pushed for fair treatment for Volkswagen customers and for the general public. Paul Willis, managing director of Volkswagen UK, has repeatedly failed to provide satisfactory answers to our questions. Dr Pötsch, who has oversight for Volkswagen’s worldwide operations, must explain Volkswagen’s conduct.

“Given Volkswagen’s previous reluctance to account for itself, I have also written to the Minister of State calling for the Department to take stronger action to ensure that customers and taxpayers do not bear the brunt of Volkswagen’s actions. The Department must not be able to wash its hands of this issue.”

Throughout the committee’s work on the VW emissions scandal, MPs have maintained that VW has failed UK customers and that the Department for Transport (DfT) should be more forceful on behalf of the UK. Without adequate reform of the vehicle type approval system in Europe and proper sanctions against manufacturers who cheat, there is little to stop a similar crisis from happening again, it claims.

The committee believes it is deeply unfair that Volkswagen has refused to compensate owners of affected cars in Europe despite offering significant compensation to vehicle owners in the US.