In October, four House of Commons Select Committees joined forces to launch an
unprecedented joint inquiry on air quality. The Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Environmental Audit, Health and Transport Committees have come together to scrutinise cross-government plans and activities to tackle air pollution, in recognition of the scale of the problem and the roles of different government departments in addressing it.
The committees launched a call for evidence in October, to which the IAQM committee has made a submission. The call for evidence invited submissions on five questions:
- How effectively do Government policies take into account the health and environmental impacts of poor air quality?
- Do these plans set out effective and proportionate measures to achieve necessary emissions reductions as quickly as possible?
- Are other nations or cities taking more effective action that the UK can learn from?
- Is there enough cross-government collaboration to set in place the right fiscal and policy incentives?
- How can those charged with delivering national plans at local level be best supported and challenged?
To read the evidence submitted by the IAQM,
download the full submission (pdf).
The committees have since been taking oral evidence from academics, businesses, campaigners and Ministers. To view transcripts or videos of these sessions, or to view other written evidence submissions, visit the
inquiry’s web page.