5. How is the Welsh Government monitoring noise air quality management in Wales? OAQ(5)0068(ERA)

Thank you. We are tackling noise and air pollution in a number of ways. These include through local air quality management, industry regulation, the planning regime and the promotion of active travel. We are currently reviewing the responses to the public consultation seeking views on what more we can do in Wales.

Thank you. You referred to the local air quality and noise management consultation. How do you respond to concerns raised with me that the questions in that suggest that the assessment of air quality be done on the basis of averaging any impacts and benefits across the whole population of Wales, rather than focusing on the most vulnerable, and disregarding the critical weighting that should be given to hyperlocal specifics that might detect and report excess pollution suffered particularly by children, older people or disabled people? There’s also the fact that there’s no mention in the preamble to the document to guidance or consultation from the Wales health impact assessment support unit.

I haven’t heard any complaints about the questions or the way that the consultation was put together. If you’ve received one or more, I’d be very interested to have a note from you so I can look at it. A great deal of thought went into that consultation document, and I think the questions we’ve asked are absolutely appropriate.

One of the hotspots for air pollution is in Cardiff, so I’m very keen to find out exactly what monitoring the Welsh Government is doing of the levels of air quality in the Cardiff urban area. How confident are you that you will manage to satisfy Mr Justice Garnham by the end of April that you are able to take measures to deal with the illegal levels of air pollution that we are suffering?

Across Cardiff, there are some localised areas where air pollution is problematic, I think mainly as a result of road traffic emissions. At these locations, we have air quality management areas that have been declared as such by the local authority. It’s their duty to tackle local air quality. I’ve been assured that their action plans will all be in place shortly in accordance with statutory guidance.

I think addressing air pollution really requires a collaborative approach. We are currently, as I said, reviewing the responses to the public consultation, and I’m hoping, the results of that consultation, I’m going to feed to local authorities, because as I say, it is their responsibility to make sure that they fulfil all their requirements.

Cabinet Secretary, you’ve mentioned road traffic emissions and it’s clear that they play a very significant part in terms of air pollution and the impact on human health. Diesel emissions are particularly significant. Would you agree with me that—? Hopefully, we’ll get to electric vehicles as quickly as possible, but before we do that, there are other practical steps that may be taken to address these issues, such as the conversion of taxi fleets from diesel to liquefied petroleum gas. The industry tells me that can be achieved with, perhaps, some grant support and they could repay that grant within a period of something like two years.

Absolutely. I think Birmingham are looking to electrify their taxi fleet, so it will be very interesting to see what they do. In relation to electric vehicles, I’m very keen to see us move to more electric vehicles, but, of course, a stumbling block or a barrier is the lack of recharging points. So, I’m looking to see if I can, perhaps, find some small amount of money so that I could help incentivise local authorities to install them, even if it’s only just one, just to start the ball rolling. Some local authorities do have them, obviously. People have them at home. But I think it is a barrier for people purchasing an electric vehicle, because there are no charging points and, of course, there are no charging points because there aren’t enough electric vehicles, so it’s a vicious circle that I am very keen to break.

Question 6 [OAQ(5)0070(ERA)] was withdrawn.

Question 7, John Griffiths.