Scrappage scheme news - Scrappage scheme, Darling? - 2009

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Chancellor Alistair Darling has confirmed the long-expected news that the government will introduce a ‘cash for crapbox' (OK, that's not the official title, but it helps us remember it) car scrappage scheme, starting next month.

New car buyers will receive a £2,000 discount when they scrap their old car, which must be over 10 years old.

The government will stump up £1,000 of the discount, with the car industry paying the other half. The scheme will run from mid-May, and is scheduled to finish at the end of March next year.

Here's the technical stuff: the car you're scrapping must have been registered in the UK on or before July 31, 1999, and must have been continuously registered to a UK resident for 12 months before being scrapped. It must also have a current MOT certificate. So if you're thinking about hauling out the old Austin Allegro that's been rusting into a heap at the end of your garden for the past 20 years, don't. It won't work.

The £2,000 discount will apply to all new cars, not just low-CO2 or ‘green' vehicles - good news for Jaguar and Land Rover.

Darling also used the Budget to announce that fuel duty would increase by 2p per litre this September, and will rise by 1p per litre over the rate of inflation each April for the next four years. Oh, and some stuff about income tax and stamp duty, though we didn't really pay much attention to that.

The big news, obviously, is the scrappage scheme. What do you reckon? Welcome kick-start to the UK car industry, or a horrible, pointless waste of money? Our Foreman, Paul Horrell, has some pretty strong opinions. Head over to his blog and weigh in with your argument.