Health: Diesel Engine Pollution Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Brabazon of Tara
Main Page: Lord Brabazon of Tara (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)Department Debates - View all Lord Brabazon of Tara's debates with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(9 years, 7 months ago)
Lords ChamberIt is helpful that the noble Lord has asked that question. It gives me the opportunity to clarify that nothing in the consultation could lead to the closure of monitoring stations. It is essentially about streamlining and simplifying the reporting system to reduce unnecessary burdens and speed up delivery of air quality action plan measures to tackle pollutants such as NO2 and particulate materials. We are not proposing a reduction of monitoring by local authorities, but decisions on local air quality monitoring are for them, so ultimately it is up to them to decide what level of monitoring they wish to undertake.
Does my noble friend recall that until very recently people were encouraged to buy diesel cars because they produced less CO2 and had very attractive rates of vehicle excise duty? What does my noble friend say to those people now?
My Lords, my noble friend makes an important point, of course. The point is that the EU procedures for testing diesel engines did not deliver the health outcomes that were sought. That is why the Commission is looking at this again.