3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the progress being made to improve air quality across Wales? OAQ(5)0147(ERA)

Thank you. Whilst air quality in Wales is improving, hotspots remain. As we work to finalise a new clean air zone framework for Wales, all sectors and representative bodies—in particular in the private sector—are viewed as active stakeholders. Their involvement in this work will be essential.

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that air pollution impacts both on our environment and on our health. On the environment issues, we actually have the visible impacts upon our species, our plants and in our towns. Just come to Taibach in my constituency to see some of the visual impacts yourself. But also, there are many organisations in the health area that indicate that air pollution contributes to over 2,000 deaths annually here in Wales because of things like asthma attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and perhaps flare-ups and heart attacks as a consequence of the air pollution.

I appreciate that the health agenda is with another Minister, but the air quality agenda is with you. What are you doing to actually have discussions across the Cabinet to ensure that we tackle the air pollution aspects across Wales? And, will you also perhaps look at strengthening the EU regulations, pre and post Brexit, to look at how we can address fewer breaches being allowed to ensure air quality is tighter, and perhaps the role of NRW in policing that?

The health of people and the environment of Wales go absolutely hand in hand and I am committed to protecting the people and the environment of Wales. My officials and certainly health officials, and particularly the Minister for social services’ officials, work very closely together and we revised the new guidance that you’re probably aware of on the local air quality management. We’re taking a joint approach with public health in the development of a clear air zone framework for Wales and that will be reflected in the work of a working group from within the Brexit stakeholder group on air and climate. You’ll be aware of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee report and I’ve already said to them that there’s a scope to better align both the national and the local air quality regimes following the exit from the EU.

Cabinet Secretary, welcome back to the Chamber. The point about 2,000 people dying prematurely in Wales through poor air quality—that’s five people a day—surely is one of the biggest public health challenges, dilemmas that we do face. I’ve listened to several of the answers that you’ve given and I welcome the action the Government is taking across portfolios. But, what confidence can we have that, by the time this Assembly goes before the electorate in 2021, we will see a reduction in those numbers of premature deaths here in Wales? As I said, and it is worth repeating, 2,000 people are dying prematurely because of poor air quality. That’s five people a day. Where can we mark you, as a Government, in 2021 as to those premature deaths here in Wales?

As you say, we need to do some significant work around this and you will have heard me say it’s absolutely a priority for me. You know we’ve recently had a consultation and I have to say the consultation was, in general, supportive of the action that we’re taking. We reaffirm the importance of reducing public exposure to air pollution by making the average concentration of nitrogen dioxide at dwellings one of Wales’s national well-being and public health outcomes framework indicators, so that’s an area where you can hold us to account. I’ve committed to issue a new air quality policy guidance to local authorities next month, and that will recognise schools and active travel routes, amongst others, as sensitive receptor locations. And local authorities have to take a risk-based approach to where they site their monitors, but I think it’s really important that they take that into consideration also. We’re also going to be issuing some guidance to support health and public health professionals in NHS Wales, because I think we need to work very closely with the staff of NHS Wales regarding that and I think they need to communicate the public health risks of poor air quality to the public and other agencies. I’m also looking to have an awareness-raising campaign on air quality, going forward.