Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to set legally binding interim targets for particulate matter 2.5 at the WHO recommendation of 20 grams per cubic metre.

Our landmark Environment Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, requires the government to set long-term, legally binding environmental targets in four priority areas, including air quality. In addition to this, there is a duty to set a new target for PM2.5 based on annual mean concentrations.

As part of the process for setting air quality targets, essential work is being carried out to ensure that we have an understanding of the action that will be required to reach the targets, to ensure that they are feasible and assess the associated costs and benefits. A summary of this analysis will be included in a public consultation before the targets are set through secondary legislation in October 2022. We have always been clear that we will consider WHO air quality guidelines as part of this process. We are also working with experts such as AQEG (Air Quality Expert Group) and COMEAP (Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants) to seek their advice, views and recommendations on key aspects of how the targets are developed.

In the meantime, we are continuing to drive forward the ambitious actions outlined in the Clean Air Strategy, such as phasing out the sale of house coal and small volumes of wet wood for domestic burning, which is a major source of PM2.5.