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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to (a) limit vehicle emissions and (b) reduce the levels of toxic air-borne particulates near schools and nurseries.

The Government is fully committed to tackling air pollution. We have put in place a £3.5 billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions, and have also published our new world leading Clean Air Strategy which the World Health Organization has praised as “an example for the rest of the world to follow”.

1. Through the 2017 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) plan, we are working with a number of local authorities to introduce measures which will reduce exposure to vehicle emissions in order to achieve compliance with legal NO2 limits in the shortest time possible. The plan sets out that we have committed £3.5 billion to support air quality and cleaner transport. This includes over £67 million invested since 2013 in retrofitting vehicles (mainly buses) with pollution reducing technology and help to reduce vehicle emissions. We have pledged to end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040 – the Road to Zero strategy published by the Department for Transport last year sets out new measures to help us achieve our 2040 mission. We have also been closely involved in the development of new European vehicle emission tests and encourage their early adoption.

1. The Government provides support for local authorities to tackle locally identified air pollution issues as they are best placed to target action to improve air quality in their area, which includes around schools and nurseries.

Local authorities have a duty to monitor and assess air quality and to take action to reduce pollution where these breach statutory limits. They already have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws in problem areas like outside schools.

Defra’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include local action targeting schools and nurseries. Defra has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997.