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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the end of the air quality grant scheme on pollution levels.

The awards were withdrawn because I had concerns that the Local Air Quality Grant Scheme would not deliver the most positive outcomes for local air quality at this particular time and so I have asked Defra officials to consider redesigning the Scheme in the future, to be able to better deliver those positive outcomes and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.

The latest published National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory shows that up to the year 2022, the UK met and is compliant with our current domestic and international emission reduction commitments. This Government has delivered significant reductions in emissions since 2010 – with emissions of fine particulate matter falling by 24%, and nitrogen oxides down by 48%.