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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to reduce the level of permitted (a) particulates emissions and (b) volatile organic compounds.

Our Clean Air Strategy, published in 2019, set out the comprehensive action required across all parts of Government and society to reduce our emissions of five key pollutants, including particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to meet legally binding targets for 2020 and 2030.

Our landmark Environment Bill delivers key parts of the Strategy. It introduces a duty to set a legally binding target for fine particulate matter, in addition to a further long term air quality target. It also provides Government with new powers to enforce environmental standards for vehicles and non-road mobile machinery and ensures that local authorities have more effective powers and a clear framework for tackling air pollution in their areas.

In addition, we have recently announced plans to introduce secondary legislation to phase out the sale of traditional house coal, high-sulphur manufactured solid fuels and small quantities of wet wood; and Public Health England have published guidelines to reduce the health impacts of selected VOCs in UK homes and offices. These actions will all help tackle emissions of particulates and VOCs.