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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) roadside air pollution is kept under a legal limit and (b) the UK meets its air quality targets set under the Environment Act 2021.

The Government has placed a duty on local authorities to keep air pollution within legal limits and we expect them to take action. The Government has provided £883m of dedicated funding to help local authorities develop and implement local NO2 air quality plans and support those affected by these plans. This sits alongside wider funding to support the transition to cleaner, more sustainable transport, including £2bn to kickstart a cycling and walking revolution, and £120m to support zero emission buses as part of the £3bn National Bus Strategy.

The UK has a high ambition for domestic air quality. The targets to be set under the Environment Act 2021 and the policy paths by which they will be achieved will be announced shortly.

Using new powers under the Environment Act 2021 we have on 7 December designated National Highways as a Relevant Public Authority which means National Highways will be required to collaborate with local authorities in developing and carrying out their Air Quality Action Plans. This means that all authorities with responsibility for roads in England are now required to work together to ensure that Air Quality Objectives are not exceeded at roadside.