Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits, feasibility and cost to commercial airlines of regulations mandating the installation of enhanced air filtration systems or the use of alternative engine oils designed to reduce the risk of cabin air contamination.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK has a well-established regulatory requirement for reporting events that could endanger aircraft outlined in UK Reg (EU) No 376/2014. Fume and smoke events must be reported and are subsequently analysed by specialists working in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to inform policy.
The scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues working in the CAA’s Medical Department. The CAA position statement on Cabin Air Quality can be found at this webpage. This includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that levels of the chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to require the installation of real-time cabin air quality monitoring sensors on commercial aircraft operating in the UK.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK has a well-established regulatory requirement for reporting events that could endanger aircraft outlined in UK Reg (EU) No 376/2014. Fume and smoke events must be reported and are subsequently analysed by specialists working in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to inform policy.
The scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues working in the CAA’s Medical Department. The CAA position statement on Cabin Air Quality can be found at this webpage. This includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that levels of the chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent reporting of fume events by airlines operating flights to and from the UK.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK has a well-established regulatory requirement for reporting events that could endanger aircraft outlined in UK Reg (EU) No 376/2014. Fume and smoke events must be reported and are subsequently analysed by specialists working in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to inform policy.
The scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues working in the CAA’s Medical Department. The CAA position statement on Cabin Air Quality can be found at this webpage. This includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that levels of the chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the potential public health impact of excess nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles fitted with defeat devices since 2015.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport.
The department recognises that elevated NOx emissions from diesel vehicles contribute to poor air quality. The Department has not produced a specific UK-only assessment of the potential health impact.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will take steps to ensure that vehicles fitted with illegal emissions defeat devices are (a) recalled and (b) rectified at no cost to the vehicle owner.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
Where an investigation into the emissions has identified emissions that do not meet the required standard, the MSU will work with the manufacturer to implement improvement plans and, where necessary, recall affected vehicles. In the event of non-compliance, work to bring the vehicle into compliance will be done at no expense to the owner.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide (a) additional funding and (b) guidance to local authorities to support the expansion of School Streets schemes across England.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 19 November 2024, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published guidance for local authorities in England on how to set up and manage a School Streets scheme. This can be found on the government website.
Funding for School Streets Schemes is available from a variety of funding sources, including the Consolidated Active Travel Fund which was announced in February 2025 as part of £222.5 million of funding being made available for local authorities for 2024/25-25/26. Additionally, the Spending Review of June 2025 allocated £616 million over the next four years to build and maintain walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure. Further funding is available from wider transport funds, such as Transport for City Regions settlements.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of diesel vehicles in the UK that are fitted with illegal defeat devices.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is investigating a range of Euro 5 and early Euro 6 diesel vehicles where potential non-compliance has been identified.
There are currently 95 vehicle models from 28 brands under investigation. Manufacturers with a vehicle model under investigation have received a notification of this. For legal and operational reasons, the DVSA does not publish case-specific figures during active investigations.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of School Streets schemes on (a) reducing air pollution and (b) improving child health outcomes.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Provision of school streets is a matter for local traffic authorities to consider. The Department and Active Travel England published guidance for local authorities last year, which included information and research on air quality and traffic impacts. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking with local (a) authorities and (b) transport authorities to help increase EV uptake in cities.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has allocated capital and resource funding across all higher tier local authorities (LAs) in England, to ensure chargepoint rollout improves significantly, including in cities. In total, the LEVI Fund will support the installation of at least 100,000 chargepoints across England giving drivers, especially those without access to off-street parking, the confidence to switch to an EV.
To further address gaps in infrastructure and make it easier for those without a driveway to charge at home, the Government has also announced a new £25 million grant for local authorities in England to install electric vehicle pavement channels. Support is also available to LAs through one-to-one guidance, masterclasses and an online knowledge repository.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to make EV charging at home more (a) widely accessible and (b) affordable.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A range of Government grants are available to support the installation of charging devices for people living in flats and rented accommodation and for those with accessible on-street parking.
The Government is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions. Our £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant, announced on 13 July, will support thousands of residents without off-street parking to conveniently charge their vehicles at home, accessing cheaper tariffs through their domestic energy supplies.