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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mitigating actions local authorities that breach air quality targets are required to take.

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, local authorities must produce an air quality action plan describing the pollution reduction measures to be put in place.

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. This is a devolved matter.