Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 1:49 pm on 10 March 2021.
Thank you. I would have very much liked to have brought a clean air Act through this Government. As you say, it was part of the First Minister's leadership bid back in December 2018, so just over two years ago. And what has happened in those two years? I think you can recognise why there has been so much pressure on the legislative programme for this Welsh Government and, unfortunately, we didn't have the capacity to bring forward a clean air Bill and then an Act during this term of Government, which I do regret and I know the First Minister regrets. However, I don't think there's any Member in this Senedd who can't understand the absolute use of our legislative programme in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and, of course, leaving the European Union and the pressures that's put on our legal capacity and, as I say, our legislative programme.
However, what we have done is launch the clean air plan for Wales, which I published back in August of last year. That sets out a range of actions to deliver those improvements in air quality across Wales that we all want to see.
You don't necessarily need legislation for everything, so I think that clean air plan has brought forward some of the improvements we want to see. I also published the consultation on the White Paper on a clean air (Wales) Bill on 13 January. As you're aware, that will close on 7 April, so that in the next term of Government, the Government can then be in a place to take forward the Act, as it wishes.