1. What is the Welsh Government's strategy for tackling air pollution in Wales? OAQ(5)0592(FM)

We tackle air pollution in a number of ways. These include local air quality management, industry regulation, the planning regime and the promotion of active travel.

Thank you, First Minister. We know that air pollution kills more people than are killed in road traffic accidents, and even the UK Government admits it’s the largest environmental threat to public health in the UK. A cross-party group in the House of Commons called it a public health emergency. These air quality management areas include an area of Newport Road, where I’ve got no less than three primary schools running along it, and they are breathing in toxic levels of air at the moment. The latest plan by the Tories that was published earlier this month is no more than an options paper. There is nothing in it that even approaches a strategy. One of the options is to have clean air zones where polluting vehicles have to pay to enter them. Obviously, this would be the thing that would make the biggest impact on cutting pollution, but the Tories have passed the buck to local authorities, with shackles on. They’re not allowed to do anything along these lines until, for example, all buses have been converted from diesel to cleaner energy. I just wondered—

You do need to come to a question.

[Continues.]—what the Welsh Government interprets from this plan and what it sees as its responsibility in ensuring that communities like mine are relieved of this appalling thing.

Well, it’s important to note that some of the levers for improving air quality, such as fiscal measures relating to diesel vehicles, are non-devolved. The level of commitment to take action at a UK Government level is currently unclear, but, as evidence of our commitment to do all that we can to improve air quality at a Welsh national level, we’ve said in the UK plan that, within 12 months, we will consult on the detail of a proposal for a clean air zone framework for Wales.

Well, I commend that study, because, if you look at Germany, clean air zones have been hugely successful in their cities, reducing soot emissions from exhausts by more than 50 per cent in Berlin, for instance. But these policies require behaviour change, encouraging cycling and the like, access to city areas and free parking for cleaner vehicles, and better use of existing infrastructure, i.e. redesignating some of our routes for pedestrians and for cyclists. And, really, I do think we should have the ambition to declare Cardiff a clean air zone, so I encourage you to do that as soon as possible.

Well, of course, we are encouraging local authorities to create more cycle routes. The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 is evidence of that, and, of course, the proposal for a metro, which will lead to better and quicker journeys on public transport, taking people out of their cars, whilst the metro itself will of course reduce emissions from the current all-diesel rolling stock. I can say that, where future evidence demonstrates clearly that clean air zones would bring about compliance before other measures, and in the shortest possible time, we will set out how to ensure the effective implementation of such zones.

Will you therefore confirm that it’s the Welsh Government’s intention that these air quality management zones do reduce air pollution, particularly in terms of the very small particulates—the PM10s—that can go deep into the lungs and are particularly dangerous to children and young people who walk or cycle to school? And, therefore, will there be specific targets within your plans for these air quality zones?

Well, this is something that is being considered at the moment as regards air quality management zones, and it’s part of the consultation that will take place, as has been set out in the British scheme.