Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 3.54 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's publication entitled Economic and fiscal outlook, published in March 2025, if he will publish the assessments referenced.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging volumes and recycling rates.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department takes to protect vulnerable people, including older people, children and people with health conditions from pollution episodes.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
During episodes of elevated air pollution, Defra works closely with Public Health England and a network of health charities to ensure that key health messages are communicated to those who are vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, in addition to communicating through our normal digital channels.
Defra’s Daily Air Quality Index (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/daqi) assists in understanding air pollution levels and suggests recommended actions and health advice. Such advice applies to anyone experiencing symptoms.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provided to (a) schools, (b) nurseries, (c) hospitals, (d) care homes and (e) GP surgeries on protecting vulnerable people from the pollution episodes that occurred across England in April 2019.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
During episodes of elevated air pollution (including the episodes across England in April 2019) Defra works closely with Public Health England and a network of health charities to ensure that key health messages are communicated to those who are vulnerable to the effects of air pollution, in addition to communicating through our normal digital channels.
Defra’s Daily Air Quality Index (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/daqi) assists in understanding air pollution levels, suggests recommended actions and gives health advice. Such advice applies to anyone experiencing symptoms.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the £3.5 million to improve air quality has been spent to date and on what measures; how much money allocated to specific measures is yet to be spent and what those specific measures are; and how much outstanding funding is yet to be allocated to specific measures.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations (NO2), setting out how we will achieve compliance in the shortest possible time, is supported by a £3.5 billion investment into air quality and cleaner transport over 2010 to 2021. This investment includes:
£1.5 billion to support the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles to 2021 (including elements funded from the National Productivity Investment Fund). As of December 2017 £862.8m had been disbursed.
£1.2 billion – for the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. As of December 2017 £555m had been disbursed.
£495 million Implementation Fund and Clean Air Fund to support councils in the 2017 Plan of which £40m was disbursed as of March 2018 (including the Air Quality Grant for 16/17 and 17/18).
£100 million disbursed to Highways England for air quality as part of the Road Investment Strategy.
£89 million disbursed for the Green Bus Fund from 2010 to 2013 for low emission buses.
£40 million allocated through the Clean Bus Technology Fund 2017-19.
£27 million allocated through the Clean Bus Technology Fund 2013 & 2015 and Clean Vehicle Fund 2014 and other bus retrofitting.
An additional £7 million disbursed through the Air Quality Grant to local authorities to support air quality from 2011 to 2015.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to ministerial directions issued to 23 local authorities on 27 July 2017 alongside the 2017 UK Air Quality Plan, which of those local authorities has submitted (a) a final plan (b) a draft plan and (c) neither a final nor draft plan to his Department; and on what date each respective plan was received by his Department.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The 23 local authorities are working together in eleven groupings. Eight out of the eleven local authority groupings submitted a plan by the 31 December 2018. They are currently under consideration. The local authorities that have submitted a plan are Bath & NE Somerset Council; Basildon & Rochford District councils; Surrey Heath, Guildford and Rushmoor councils; Fareham Borough Council; Gateshead, North Tyneside and Newcastle City councils, Middlesbrough Borough Council, Sheffield City and Rotherham Borough Council, and New Forest District Council. The local authority groupings which have not submitted are Bristol City Council, Coventry City Council and Greater Manchester councils. Ministers are considering the suitable action for those that have and haven’t provided plans.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has bring forward legislative proposals to ban the human consumption of dog and cat meat in the UK.
Answered by David Rutley
I refer the Hon Member to the reply given to Lord Selkirk of Douglas on 31 October 2018 to PQ HL10787.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of children at (a) school, (b) nursery and (c) public playgrounds exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide which are illegal under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to review and assess local ambient air quality, and are responsible for mitigation of air pollution where people are likely to be exposed, such as at schools. Defra does not hold information on the number of schools, nurseries or public playgrounds close to areas which breach legal concentration limits.
Defra provides guidance and support to local authorities on monitoring; positioning of monitors is expected to be in line with national and local priorities, and may include schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure. There are 539 current Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and 66 for Particulate Matter (PM 10) in England. A breakdown of AQMAs by Local Authority and pollutant is available on the UK Air site, which also includes an interactive map showing the boundaries of AQMAs: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/aqma/summary.
We committed in our consultation on our Clean Air Strategy to give local Government new legal powers to take decisive action to improve air quality in the most polluted areas. Through the 2017 NO2 plan, we are working with those local authorities where exceedances in NO2 concentrations have been identified, in order to achieve compliance with legal limits as soon as possible. This is supported by almost £500 million funding for councils as part of a wider commitment to invest £3.5 billion in transport and air quality.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Air Quality Management Areas are in place in England; and where they are located.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to review and assess local ambient air quality, and are responsible for mitigation of air pollution where people are likely to be exposed, such as at schools. Defra does not hold information on the number of schools, nurseries or public playgrounds close to areas which breach legal concentration limits.
Defra provides guidance and support to local authorities on monitoring; positioning of monitors is expected to be in line with national and local priorities, and may include schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure. There are 539 current Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and 66 for Particulate Matter (PM 10) in England. A breakdown of AQMAs by Local Authority and pollutant is available on the UK Air site, which also includes an interactive map showing the boundaries of AQMAs: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/aqma/summary.
We committed in our consultation on our Clean Air Strategy to give local Government new legal powers to take decisive action to improve air quality in the most polluted areas. Through the 2017 NO2 plan, we are working with those local authorities where exceedances in NO2 concentrations have been identified, in order to achieve compliance with legal limits as soon as possible. This is supported by almost £500 million funding for councils as part of a wider commitment to invest £3.5 billion in transport and air quality.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to support schools and nurseries to (a) enforce the perimeters of school streets and (b) protect pupils from levels of nitrogen dioxide that are above the limits set out in the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to review and assess local ambient air quality, and are responsible for mitigation of air pollution where people are likely to be exposed, such as at schools. Defra does not hold information on the number of schools, nurseries or public playgrounds close to areas which breach legal concentration limits.
Defra provides guidance and support to local authorities on monitoring; positioning of monitors is expected to be in line with national and local priorities, and may include schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure. There are 539 current Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and 66 for Particulate Matter (PM 10) in England. A breakdown of AQMAs by Local Authority and pollutant is available on the UK Air site, which also includes an interactive map showing the boundaries of AQMAs: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/aqma/summary.
We committed in our consultation on our Clean Air Strategy to give local Government new legal powers to take decisive action to improve air quality in the most polluted areas. Through the 2017 NO2 plan, we are working with those local authorities where exceedances in NO2 concentrations have been identified, in order to achieve compliance with legal limits as soon as possible. This is supported by almost £500 million funding for councils as part of a wider commitment to invest £3.5 billion in transport and air quality.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) schools, (b) nurseries and (c) public playgrounds in England are located (i) within 150m of roads where nitrogen dioxide levels are above the limits set out in the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive and (ii) in an Air Quality Management Area which breaches the national objective for (A) PM10 and (B) nitrogen dioxide.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to review and assess local ambient air quality, and are responsible for mitigation of air pollution where people are likely to be exposed, such as at schools. Defra does not hold information on the number of schools, nurseries or public playgrounds close to areas which breach legal concentration limits.
Defra provides guidance and support to local authorities on monitoring; positioning of monitors is expected to be in line with national and local priorities, and may include schools and other locations where there is high risk of public exposure. There are 539 current Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and 66 for Particulate Matter (PM 10) in England. A breakdown of AQMAs by Local Authority and pollutant is available on the UK Air site, which also includes an interactive map showing the boundaries of AQMAs: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/aqma/summary.
We committed in our consultation on our Clean Air Strategy to give local Government new legal powers to take decisive action to improve air quality in the most polluted areas. Through the 2017 NO2 plan, we are working with those local authorities where exceedances in NO2 concentrations have been identified, in order to achieve compliance with legal limits as soon as possible. This is supported by almost £500 million funding for councils as part of a wider commitment to invest £3.5 billion in transport and air quality.