Speeches

Caroline Ansell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has responded to the WHO Ambient Air Pollution Database Update 2016; what assessment she has made of the findings of that update; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart

Latest compliance data show that the UK is meeting the EU daily and annual mean limits for particulate matter (PM) concentrations. We continue to monitor compliance with PM limits and to explore options to reduce PM concentrations further across the UK.

The Government’s ambition is for the UK to have the best natural environment anywhere. Clean air is an essential part of that ambition. In December last year, the Government published the national air quality plan for reducing NO2 concentrations through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies. These measures will also reduce PM concentrations.