3. Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs: Clean Air Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:25 pm on 10 December 2019.

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Photo of David Lloyd David Lloyd Plaid Cymru 3:25, 10 December 2019

Now, we have declared a climate emergency, we have the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and we have serious levels of air pollution damaging health and killing people now, today. That's 2,000 deaths per year in Wales. We have increasing asthma levels, we have increasing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease levels, we have a legacy of pneumoconiosis from the miners, silicosis from our quarry workers, asbestosis still lingers around, and we have increasing rates of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis—idiopathic is Latin for 'We don't know the cause', but I suspect one of these days we'll find the cause to be air pollution, largely caused by our cavalier attitude to air pollution over the generations. Inhaled particulate matter 2.5 particles are killers, nitrogen dioxide also is a killer, nanoparticles of plastics can get absorbed into our blood system, into our circulatory system and heart. So, we have the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013, which needs a serious step-change in action. So my first question is: what is the Minister doing to help realise that step-change in legislation we already have?

In addition, as we've heard—. Over the years, I've been involved in at least two campaigns to halt incinerator developments—in Crymlyn Burrows near Swansea and also now in Llansamlet in Swansea. Will the Minister agree—? She's heard the other comments about proposed incinerators in other areas, in Usk and in Barry, not just the Llansamlet one; will you agree on a moratorium on building incinerators, at least in residential areas and near schools? Because, if there's a climate change emergency and if we're talking about all these deaths from air pollution, surely we can do something about it.

And, as I've said, I personally favour legislation. There's nothing like the back-up of the law to make sure that people act rather than plans, however well-meaning. A clean air Act to enshrine in law World Health Organization air quality guidelines; a clean air Act to mandate Welsh Government to produce a statutory air quality strategy every five years; a clean air Act to provide a legal statutory duty on local authorities to monitor air pollution, to assess air pollution, to take air pollution seriously, and to take action against it, to take seriously air pollution concerns in planning applications; and we need a clean air Act to introduce a right to breathe, whereby local councils have to tell vulnerable groups when certain levels are breached. Can I invite the Minister to agree to that last point?

And so, finally, as everybody bleats that the health service costs increasing amounts of money year on year, nobody believes in investing in changing behaviour to stop people getting ill in the first place. No, we just slag off the NHS for hoovering up money, when the health service has to tackle the problems that Governments should stop happening in the first place. So, we have an obesity agenda that causes increasing diabetes and increasing cancers, well, legislate in schools for 120 minutes of physical activity per week, then. Ban advertising and junk food. Channel a Welsh sugar tax to this education agenda. Don't slag off health for having to deal with the consequences. And, as regards air pollution, yes, legislate to form a clean air Act, to tackle those increasing asthma rates, to tackle the suffering from COPD, those increasing levels of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the damage to growing children's lungs. We no longer tolerate dirty water, we should no longer tolerate dirty air.

The Welsh Government has been tasked with reducing emissions in the quickest way possible after being found in breach of EU regulations nearly two years ago—23 months ago, to be precise. Let me not be accused of exaggerating the issue. Nearly two years ago, it was found guilty of breaching EU regulations on air pollution. Why hasn't Welsh Government proposed for this Chamber to sit an extra day in order to bring forward policies and frameworks set in this plan to address the public health crisis that air pollution presents today? Two thousand deaths per year in Wales. If that was a drug, if that was a tablet, we'd be jumping up and down to ban it and sort it out within a matter of days or weeks. There's a plan and a White Paper, and perhaps legislation in 18 months. The challenge is dire. The time is now. Diolch yn fawr.