Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Highways England is making on reducing levels of NO2 on the strategic road network.

Highways England have been undertaking extensive research into potential air quality solutions for the strategic road network that could reduce levels of NO2. They have explored a wide range of ideas including the effectiveness of different traffic management options, understanding obstacles to greater use of electric vans on the network and different types of barrier design.

Based on all their research, they have robust evidence that a 9.5 metre high barrier can help reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide behind the barrier and have developed a programme to identify potential sites around the network.