§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has to improve air quality. [46225]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 16 June 1998]The UK National Air Quality Strategy sets out national air quality objectives for eight key air pollutants to be achieved by 2005. These objectives have been set with reference to air quality standards which represent no or minimal risk of health effects to the public. The Strategy also describes a range of policy options for achieving the objectives and the contribution to be made at international, national and local levels. We announced last year that we would review the Strategy urgently to look at the options for delivering improved air quality more quickly. The review is due to be completed by the end of this year.
The Government are also taking action on a number of other fronts to improve air quality. At the European level we reached agreement at the Environment Council earlier this month on tough new air quality limit values under the Air Quality Daughter Directive and improved fuel quality standards under the Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels Directive. We have also made significant progress in negotiating tighter fuel quality and emission standards under the Auto-Oil programme. At the national level we 432W are implementing the Industrial Pollution Prevention and Control Directive and taking forward fiscal incentives for low emission buses/lorries, alternative fuels and legislation on vehicle emissions. At the local level we have introduced a system of local air quality management and are piloting a scheme for local transport emissions enforcement.