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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what regulatory and legal mechanisms will be available to hold the United Kingdom accountable for failing to meet air quality targets once it has left the European Union.

Reducing air pollution is a priority for this Government. UK law sets out legally binding targets to reduce concentrations and emissions of key air pollutants. The Ambient Air Quality Directive was made law in England through the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010. The National Emission Ceilings Directive 2016 will be transposed into UK legislation by the end of June 2018. Current legal mechanisms for enforcing UK law, such as judicial review, will continue to be available when the UK leaves the European Union.

Air quality has improved significantly in recent decades; we are working at local, national and international levels and will continue to do more. As we prepare to negotiate our exit from the European Union, the Government will continue to ensure that the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

The Government will set out further actions to improve air quality next year including consulting on a revised National Air Quality Plan for nitrogen dioxide by 24 April. The final plan will be in place by the end of July. We will also publish the UK Government’s air pollution action plan, which will include all pollutants and implement the requirements of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive, no later than March 2019.