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 the World Health Organisation air quality guideline limits for PM2.5, what assessment his Department made of the merits of the guidelines when calculating the UK’s air pollution targets.

We have recently launched a consultation on new ambitious PM _2.5 targets that are stretching, achievable and specific to our national circumstances. The WHO air quality guidelines are intended to inform the setting of air quality standards and are not ready-made targets for adoption. They were considered as part of the evidence process. The evidence supporting the proposed targets can be found at: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-environment-policy/consultation-on-environmental-targets/