Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
There is a lot resting on the updated plan that government expects to publish if...
Recommendation
There is a lot resting on the updated plan that government expects to publish if 2030 air quality targets are to be met. The UK may have missed its target for national ammonia emissions in 2020, and existing policy measures will not be sufficient to achieve the 2030 emissions ceilings set for the UK for a further three pollutants. At the time we took evidence Government planned to publish in September 2022 an update to the National Air Pollution Control Programme, and this must be robust and realistic enough to ensure that targets are met. Past action to tackle local breaches of air quality limits has fallen significantly behind schedule, and similar delays at the national level would mean targets being missed. Meeting these targets will require action beyond the transport sector, such as by reducing domestic wood-burning (which accounts for a quarter of fine particulate matter emissions) and addressing ammonia use in farming (around 87% of ammonia emissions). Recommendation: The government must ensure that the plan it publishes includes robust, actionable measures that will result in compliance with the 2030 targets for all air pollutants, and ensure it has strong governance arrangements to monitor progress against its plan and take decisive action if progress falls behind expectations. 8 Tackling local air quality breaches Tackling Local Air Quality breaches
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states they have consulted on a revised National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) that includes robust actionable measures to deliver compliance with the 2030 targets for all air pollutants.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented The government has consulted on a revised National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) which includes robust actionable measures for further consideration to deliver compliance with the 2030 targets for all air pollutants. Responses to the consultation are currently being carefully considered. Strong governance arrangements regarding Air Quality policies are already in place. The draft revised NAPCP outlines a list of wide-ranging policies and measures to be considered further to drive emission reductions across several sectors including domestic combustion, industry, agriculture and transport. The policies and measures which could be considered further included those from HM Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. The department also worked closely with other government departments (OGDs) when preparing the draft revised NAPCP, specifically DfT and BEIS whose areas of responsibilities have an impact on air quality. Progress against the NAPCP is monitored monthly using an internal management system called Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). Progress reports are then subject to robust governance through the Air Quality Programme Board with escalation to Environmental Quality Portfolio Board. Wider oversight of the NAPCP programme is also aided by two key existing governance groups. The Air Quality Common Framework, which brings together officials from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland, Welsh Government and Scottish Government. Separately there is the Cross Whitehall Group which brings together officials from several different UK government departments, including Defra, DfT, BEIS, and others. Treasury Minutes Archive1 Treasury Minutes are the government’s response to reports from the Committee of Public Accounts. Treasury Minutes are Command Papers laid in Parliament. Session 2022-23 Committee Recommendations: 146 Recommendations agreed: 133 (91%) Recommendations disagreed: 13 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2022 Government response to PAC reports 1, 3 & 10 CP 722 August 2022 Government response to PAC reports 2, 4-8 CP 708 September 2022 Government response to PAC reports 9, 13-16 CP 745 November 2022 Government response to PAC reports 11, 12, 17 CP 755 December 2022 Government response to PAC reports 18-22 CP 774 Session 2021-22 Committee Recommendations: 362 Recommendations agreed: 333 (92%) Recommendations disagreed: 29 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number August 2021 Government response to PAC reports 1-6 CP 510 September 2021 Government response to PAC reports 8-11 CP 520 November 2021 Government response to PAC reports 7,13-16 (and TM2 BBC) CP 550 December 2021 Government response to PAC reports 12, 17-21 CP 583 January 2022 Government response to PAC reports 22-26 CP 603 February 2022 Government response to PAC reports 27-31 CP 631 April 2022 Government response to PAC reports 32-35 CP 649 April 2022 Government response to PAC reports 36-42 CP 667 July 2022 Government response to PAC reports 49-52 CP 722 Session 2019-21 Committee Recommendations: 233 Recommendations agreed: 208 (89%) Recommendations disagreed: 25 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 1-6 CP 270 September 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 7-13 CP 291 November 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 14-17 and 19 CP 316 January 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 18, 20-24 CP 363 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 25-29 CP 376 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 30-34 CP 389 March 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 35-39 CP 409 April 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 40- 44 CP 420 1 List of Treasury Minutes responses for Sessions 2010-15 are annexed in the government’s response to PAC Report 52 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number May 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 45-51 CP 434 June 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 52-56 CP 456 Session 2019 Committee Recommendations: 11 Recommendations agreed: 11 (100%) Recommendations disagreed: 0 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number January 2020 Government response to PAC report [112-119] 1 and 2 CP 210 Session 2017-19 Committee Recommendations: 747 Recommendations agreed: 675 (90%) Recommendations disagreed: 72 (10%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number December 2017 Government response to PAC report 1 Cm 9549 January 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 2 and 3 Cm 9565 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 4-11 Cm 9575 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 12-19 Cm 9596 May 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 20-30 Cm 9618 June 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 31-37 Cm 9643 July 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 38-42 Cm 9667 October 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 43-58 Cm 9702 December 2018 Government responses to PAC rep