Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to strengthen communities' powers to improve accountability and local action on air pollution.

The Government supports communities and local authorities to take effective action on air pollution through the Local Air Quality Management framework, which requires local authorities to assess air quality and implement measures to address local issues. Defra provides technical guidance, modelling tools, and monitoring support to help authorities identify pollution sources and develop targeted action. Since taking ownership of the Air Quality Hub in 2024, Defra has enhanced the platform to improve access to guidance, training, and examples of best practice, strengthening local capability and enabling communities to benefit from successful approaches used elsewhere.