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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward proposals to require local authorities whose planning decisions may have contributed to poor air quality standards to pay fines imposed by the EU on the UK in respect of those standards.

The Commission has started infraction proceedings against the UK for not achieving European limit values for NO₂. This case is ongoing. We are working in partnership with local authorities to ensure resources are invested in improving air quality to protect public health and the environment and to avoid any prospect of fines. We are fully committed to complying with EU air quality standards and are revising our plans to achieve compliance with the NO₂ limits in the shortest possible time.