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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of progress towards meeting 2026 air quality compliance limits in Greater Manchester.

Defra’s ‘Air Pollution in the UK report 2024’ which includes the annual assessment of compliance with the Air Quality Standards Regulations, was published on 30 September 2025. This contains information specific to the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

We agreed an £86m investment led clean air plan for Greater Manchester in January 2025 to address exceedances of nitrogen dioxide.  This will see the city benefit from cleaner buses; local traffic measures and upgrades to the taxi fleet to help clean up the region’s air. We are continuing to work closely with Greater Manchester Authorities to monitor its delivery and in order to ensure compliance with NO₂ limits in the shortest possible time.