Air Quality

Lord Faulkner of Worcester Excerpts

Wednesday 24th April 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, there were quite a lot of questions in there. On the public health outcomes framework, in the financial year 2013-14 local authorities will take on new responsibilities for public health. They will be expected to deliver against 68 measurable outcomes set out in the PHOF. One of these indicators is air quality, but measures implemented as part of a package of transport interventions and street improvements will help to deliver against more than half those indicators.

On London, I cannot agree with my noble friend. The mayor has implemented an ambitious package of measures across the whole of London, including tighter lower emission zone standards, building Europe’s largest hybrid bus fleet and introducing London’s first ever taxi age limits. He has also introduced a number of other measures.

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester]

My Lords, would the air quality in London not have been improved had the mayor not abolished the western extension of the congestion charge?

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, that is a very complicated subject and maybe we should have a debate on it.