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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to local authorities to introduce low emission zones.

Air pollution poses one of the biggest environmental threats to public health, which is why the Government is already investing £3.8 billion to clean up our air. This includes £880 million ring-fenced for local authorities to tackle previously identified nitrogen dioxide exceedances. The Defra/Department for Transport Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) continues to work closely with those local authorities developing and implementing local clean air plans, which can include charging Clean Air Zones (CAZs). JAQU provides these local authorities with guidance on the practicalities of setting up a CAZ, including information on both the digital interface and the physical infrastructure required to make CAZs function effectively.