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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect on public health of the revised Large Combustion Plant Best Available Technique Reference Document standards; and if she will make a statement.

The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK's air quality and cutting harmful emissions. This is one of the reasons why the UK has signed up to the National Emissions Ceiling Directive, which sets tougher legally binding ceilings for emissions of five major pollutants in 2020 and 2030. The Government is considering how all sectors of the UK economy, including industry, can contribute to these ambitious targets.

The UK has implemented the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, which aims to achieve a high level of protection of human health and the environment by reducing harmful industrial emissions through setting limits on emissions of key pollutants and application of Best Available Techniques (BAT).

The UK remains a member of the EU until we leave, with full rights and obligations of membership. The Government is therefore participating as usual in the ongoing review process for the Large Combustion Plant Best Available Technique Reference Document (LCP BREF) to ensure that the standards placed on industry deliver benefits to human health and the environment balanced against the costs of implementation. This includes standards applicable to coal-fired power stations. Defra officials are currently examining the proposed LCP BREF ahead of the vote next month.

The Government’s recent consultation on proposals to regulate the closure of unabated coal-fired power plants by 2025 ended in February this year. Responses are currently being considered and resulting measures will be factored into the Government’s future air quality plan.

The draft UK Air Quality Plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide will be published by 24 April.