10th Special Report - Improving air quality: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report

This is the government's response, published 20 June 2018.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government's response sets out action across the recommendations, and states that it does "not agree" that previous NO2 measures were implemented in isolation and does not consider it "appropriate" for central Government to audit individual local plans.

• On the national information campaign, the government says it is "not possible for PHE to deliver an effective and appropriate campaign by September 2018"; PHE is reviewing evidence on interventions and will report to Ministers "later this year".
• On new legislation, the government is consulting on a statutory environmental body and says it "will bring forward" an Environment Principles and Governance Bill. Its Clean Air Strategy proposes new primary legislation, and it says it "will legislate" for new England-wide and local powers.
• On charging Clean Air Zones, the government says local authorities are "best placed to take the lead" and that, if another measure is at least as effective at reducing NO2, "those measures should be preferred". It will require councils to act if plans do not meet its test.
• On local plan audits, it agrees that plans should contribute to better air quality but does "not consider" an audit appropriate, citing independent examination; it proposes strengthening national policy and is "considering the consultation responses" on further guidance.

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