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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy that a Clean Air Zone can be a (a) category B zone and (b) non-charging zone.

Air pollution is the most significant environmental threat to public health, and so we have an ambitious programme of work to deliver cleaner air. Our 2017 UK Plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide concentrations sets out that if a local authority can identify measures other than charging zones that are at least as effective at reducing NO2, and are at the same or lower cost, those measures should be preferred. Our Clean Air Zone framework sets out the principles for setting up a zone in England to give councils maximum flexibility to fit their local context.