Speeches

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 2016-01-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the additional investment necessary to speed up the implementation of their clean air plan, and if so, where those figures will be published.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The air quality plan for reducing nitrogen dioxide emissions published on 17 December last year sets out the investment we have made to date to improve air quality and our future commitments. For example, we have committed over £2bn to greener transport measures since 2011 including, over the next five years, £600m to support the development and take up of ultra-low emission vehicles and £580m for a new access fund for sustainable travel.

The plan confirms that we will be providing funding to help five Local Authorities in England outside London to implement clean air zones and support the implementation of additional measures where necessary. We will be discussing the details of this with the relevant Local Authorities. In London, the 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement set out the financial settlement for Transport for London which is supporting a number of measures in the capital as set out in the air quality plan.