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Select Committee · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Air Quality

Status: Closed Opened: 12 Jun 2020 Closed: 24 Nov 2021 19 recommendations 1 conclusion 1 report

Air pollution has been classified as the largest environmental risk to UK public health. In 2016, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Physicians estimated about 40,000 people in the UK die every year due to outdoor air pollution, with disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected. It also estimated it costs … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavirus: a glimpse of a … HC 468 11 Feb 2021 20 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
1 Conclusion Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi… Acknowledged

Before the pandemic, the UK had made limited progress in improving air quality, with less...

Before the pandemic, the UK had made limited progress in improving air quality, with less than a quarter of air quality assessment areas meeting the annual mean limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Lockdown restrictions from March 2020 led to less traffic and changing travel patterns and many people experienced better … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government reiterates its commitment to improving air quality through existing legally binding limits and new targets under the Environment Bill, which will be enforceable by the Office for Environmental Protection against all public bodies.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
8 Recommendation Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi… Acknowledged

As part of the Clean Air Strategy the Government should include a timeline on when...

As part of the Clean Air Strategy the Government should include a timeline on when the reduction in limits of other pollutants is to be delivered. (Paragraph 58) National and local action

Government response AI summary
The government stated that legally binding targets exist for reducing emissions of five key pollutants by 2020 and 2030, but acknowledged that 2020 targets for ammonia and PM2.5 are unlikely to be met. They committed to revising the National Air Pollution Control Programme to set …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
13 Recommendation Fifth report - Air Quality and coronavi… Acknowledged

We recognise that CAZs do not address the root causes of air pollution, nor the...

We recognise that CAZs do not address the root causes of air pollution, nor the wider issues beyond their boundaries, and that local leaders sometimes have to strike a difficult balance so as to not “lose the dressing room”. However, at times local government also needs to be prepared to … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government stated it is conducting a major review of the Local Air Quality Management Framework, promising to work closely with local authorities to understand pandemic impacts and develop a stronger support framework. This is a broader review, rather than a specific commitment for JAQU …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
16 Nov 2020 Andrew Jackson · Joint Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department for Transport Air Quality Unit, Dr Bill Parish · Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Rachel Maclean MP · Department for Transport, Rebecca Pow MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
3 Nov 2020 Marvin Rees · Bristol City Council, Matthew Holmes · Derby City Council View ↗
29 Sep 2020 Jemima Hartshorn · Mums for Lungs, Kate Langford · Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, Parveen Kumar · British Medical Association (BMA), Paul Swinney · Centre for Cities, Subrah Krishnan-Harihara · Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce View ↗
8 Sep 2020 Professor Alastair Lewis · University of York, Professor Anna Hansell · University of Leicester, Professor Eloise Scotford · University College London, Professor Sir Michael Marmot · University College London (UCL) View ↗

Who gave evidence

15 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Jackson · Deputy Director Joint Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department for Transport Air Quality Unit 1
Dr Bill Parish · Head of Air Quality & Industrial Emissions Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs 1
Jemima Hartshorn · Founder and Director Mums for Lungs 1
Kate Langford · Programme Director Guy's and St Thomas' Charity 1
Marvin Rees · Mayor Bristol City Council 1
Matthew Holmes · Deputy Leader Derby City Council 1
Parveen Kumar · Professor British Medical Association (BMA) 1
Paul Swinney · Director of Research Centre for Cities 1
Professor Alastair Lewis · Professor University of York 1
Professor Anna Hansell · Professor of Environmental Epidemiology University of Leicester 1
Professor Eloise Scotford · Professor University College London 1
Professor Sir Michael Marmot · Director of the Institute of Health Equity and Pr… University College London (UCL) 1
Rachel Maclean MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Transport 1
Rebecca Pow MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Subrah Krishnan-Harihara · Head of Research Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce 1