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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the (a) Government's clean air strategy and (b) roll-out of clean air zones of enabling the provision of (i) car clubs, (ii) daily car rental schemes and (iii) other alternatives to private vehicle ownership.

Defra did not assess the direct impact of car clubs, daily car rental schemes or other alternatives to private vehicle ownership on the Clean Air Strategy or the roll out of the Clean Air Zones.

The Clean Air Strategy was published in January this year and sets our approach for reducing emissions from a range of sources in order to improve air quality and reduce the impacts on human health and the environment. The policies in the Strategy were subject to extensive consultation, and estimates of the reduction in emissions delivered by these policies were published in April in the National Air Pollution Control Programme.

The Clean Air Zone Framework is designed to provide a consistent approach to the introduction of Clean Air Zones by local authorities in order to help businesses and individuals and support cities to grow and transition to a low emission economy. This will allow businesses and individuals to make straightforward economic decisions about which vehicles to purchase, and how and when they use them. The framework is also designed to encourage local authorities to explore promoting alternative modes of transport, including buses, cycling and walking, and other sustainable transport alternatives.