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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London and (b) environmental and financial benefits that other local authorities could accrue from such a scheme.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone was implemented by the Mayor of London, who is responsible for assessing its impacts and effectiveness.

The Government is working with a number of local authorities to bring local roads to within legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) pollution, following the actions set out in the 2017 NO2 plan. A number of these local authorities are implementing Clean Air Zones to achieve this aim, with zones launched in Bath and Birmingham and another launching shortly in Portsmouth. The primary goal of such actions is to safeguard public health from the impacts of air pollution.

Where a local authority identifies a Clean Air Zone is needed, it is required to carry out an assessment of the zone's impacts as part of its initial business case development. These authorities will also undertake ongoing monitoring and analysis to assess the zone's impacts on air quality.