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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to set (a) requirements and (b) guidelines for local councils to take steps to improve air quality.

The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions.

1. Sections 82 to 84 of the Environment Act 1995 require local authorities to review air quality in their areas and to designate an air quality management area (AQMA) where air quality objectives are not being achieved. Where an AQMA is designated, the local authority must produce an air quality action plan describing the pollution reduction measures to be put in place.

2. Defra provides statutory policy and technical guidance for local authorities in England to enable them to fulfil their air quality management duties. Defra also provides technical support to local authorities via a dedicated local air quality management Helpdesk (phone, email and webpage).

   Local authorities in England can already implement Clean Air Zones voluntarily. We have recently consulted on a national framework for Clean Air Zones and supporting legislation to enable the Government to mandate local authorities to implement Clean Air Zones.