Environment Bill

Neil Parish Excerpts

Consideration of Lords amendments
Wednesday 20th October 2021 Commons Chamber

On Lords amendment 3, on air quality, the Government are committed to driving forward tangible and long-lasting improvements to the air we breathe. We will set ambitious air quality targets through the Bill, including a specific target on PM_2.5 which is the air pollutant that has the most significant impact on human health. Delivering ambitious reductions in PM_2.5 will require action from everyone: national Government, local government, businesses and individual citizens. The more ambitious the targets, the greater the level of intervention that will be required.

[Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)]

I thank the Minister for presenting the Bill. We really do need to get to this target quickly. We also have the situation whereby the World Health Organisation is reducing the amount of PM_2.5 that can be in the atmosphere. Are the Government taking this very seriously—not only the target that we have had all along but the new target that the WHO is setting?

[Rebecca Pow]

My hon. Friend takes a huge amount of interest in this issue and I know my officials met him very recently to discuss the detail.