8. Plaid Cymru Debate: Air Pollution

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:17 pm on 5 February 2020.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 5:17, 5 February 2020

I think the Member makes a very good point and certainly I, or my colleague Ken Skates, would be very interested in having that conversation. 

The Government will not support the Conservatives' amendments 4 and 5, but this is on the basis they are confusing key issues and would dilute, rather than strengthen, the measures we need to take. We support the sentiment that new legislation should apply World Health Organization guidelines. To do this, we will translate the principles of the guidance into the Act, rather than inserting the guidelines themselves on the face of the Bill. That will ensure the targets we set in Wales are designed according to the highest global standards.

Similarly, we support the right to breathe, but our responsibility is to translate this into legislation that is specific and can be actioned. So, as I said, we'll oppose those amendments, but we would encourage Members to look at the measures we have already proposed in our clean air plan—and several Members referred to the document—which are more strict and tightly focused. The consultation does run, Presiding Officer, until 10 March, and it describes actions related to each point in the original motion and more. And I'd like to take this opportunity to provide detail of just some of the steps we are taking in these areas in the coming months, as we work towards the creation of a clean air Act for Wales.

Members will be aware that Welsh Government has introduced measures to reduce air pollution from traffic on Wales's trunk road network. Early indications are these are having a positive impact, but, in the coming weeks, we will publish our report, which will contain the evidence of effectiveness and recommendations of any further steps we need to take to reduce pollution created and the impact on people's health. In parallel, I will shortly publish a clean air zone framework for Wales to set out how we believe clean air zones should be implemented in Wales. Later in the year, my colleague the Minister for Economy and Transport will also publish a separate report on the costs and benefits of introducing road-user charging on a regional basis to ensure we take a fair and consistent approach to reducing people's exposure to air pollution from road traffic. And, in addition, we intend to publish a charging strategy for Wales in 2020, which sets out the steps we will take to increase the provision of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. 

These plans will feed into a new transport strategy for Wales, also due for publication this year. The strategy will explain how we intend to realise our ambition for a low-carbon transport system, including the achievement of a low-carbon bus and taxi fleet by 2028. As well as providing benefits in reducing our carbon emissions, this will also lead directly to a significant reduction in air pollution.

In addition to our efforts to address air pollution from road traffic, we are taking a wide range of other measures to reduce emissions and give meaning to Welsh citizens' right to breathe. This year, we'll update the Air Quality in Wales website to make it more interactive and user-friendly, to encourage more Welsh citizens to access information about air quality in their area. We're also looking to build on the Young Dragons citizens science initiative in which we've engaged children and young people in making a serious contribution to the evidence base on air pollution, at the same time as giving them a hands-on opportunity to learn more about the science. 

We're currently in the process of strengthening our air quality emergency response capability, working with NRW, the fire service and the Met Office, so we are able to respond to more incidents more quickly, providing more accurate information to citizens in the event of serious air pollution events. 

This year, we will publish new planning guidance with an updated technical advice note on air quality and soundscape to replace TAN 11 on noise. This will ensure that new development design addresses exposure to air pollution before issues arise. 

In March, Natural Resources Wales will publish area statements, a key milestone in the implementation of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. By defining the key opportunities and challenges for strengthening the resilience of ecosystems in different parts of Wales, the area statements will allow us to maximise the positive benefits for nature at the same time as making a positive impact on air quality and other aspects of our well-being.

So, these are just a few examples of the action we are taking now to improve air quality in Wales. In all cases, there may be opportunities to strengthen the effectiveness of these measures through our clean air Act, and I hope all parties will support the Government amendment today to show our combined determination on a cross-party basis to take decisive action to drive down air pollution in Wales, and give real meaning to Wales's citizens right to breathe.