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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in the Irish Government on (i) their experience of bringing forward policies on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood and (ii) the UK Government's consultation on similar proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Earlier this year, my Department set out our proposals to reduce the emissions of harmful particulate matter from the domestic burning of solid fuels, the largest source in the UK.

The Irish Government has enacted similar proposals to ours; namely the phasing out of house coal for use in domestic properties in favour of cleaner manufactured solid fuel, often known as “smokeless coal”. They have not introduced restrictions on wet wood, as we are proposing.

Officials from my Department have met officials from the Irish Government on a number of occasions to learn from their experiences in this area, including in person at a meeting in Dublin, via telephone meetings and at other international meetings at which both UK and Irish officials have been present.

I have spoken briefly to former Minister Naughten in the fringes of a European Council on the policy in Ireland. There have been no formal meetings on this issue.

The Irish Government’s policies to restrict smoky coal have resulted in a significant decrease in particulate matter in Dublin, and other cities throughout Ireland.