NDM6602 Debate: Air Quality

NDM6602 Debate: Air Quality

NDM6602 Julie James (Swansea West)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Acknowledges the urgent need for action, including work across all parts of the Welsh Government, to tackle poor air quality affecting human health and the natural environment in Wales.

2. Supports the development of a clean air plan for Wales to deliver improvements over and above legal compliance for all our citizens, including through:

a) a clean air zone framework to ensure the consistent and effective implementation of clean air zones by local authorities, wherever they are needed;

b) improvements to local authority reporting on air quality issues in their areas and their plans to deal with them;

c) the establishment of a national air quality assessment and monitoring centre for Wales, to advise local and national government on the extent of poor air quality and the effectiveness of current and future actions;

d) the delivery of an on-going air quality campaign and other interventions to raise public awareness of poor air quality and to change behaviour.

3. Calls on the UK Government to back up its stated commitment of phasing out new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040 with a concrete set of milestones to be achieved ahead of that date, accelerating the transition to zero emission road transport in the UK, and bringing forward the associated public health outcomes.

 

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Insert as new point after point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to treat air pollution as a public health issue.

Amendment 2. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Insert as new point after point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to publish a national air pollution strategy.

Amendment 3. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Insert as new point after point 2 and renumber accordingly:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to issue guidance to local health boards on alerting residents of air pollution levels.

Amendment 4. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Insert as new point after point 2 and renumber accordingly:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to issue guidance to local authorities on how they should monitor air quality outside schools and on active travel routes.

Amendment 5. Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Delete point 3 and replace with:

Welcomes the innovative measures promoted by the UK Government, such as phasing out all diesel and petrol engines by 2040 – and calls for greater partnership links between the Welsh and UK Government on this policy, to ensure the transition to zero-emission road transport in the UK and bringing forward the associated public health outcomes.

Amendment 6 Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Recognises the need to decarbonise the transport sector and welcomes the provision of £2 million towards electric vehicle charging as a result of Plaid Cymru’s budget agreement with the Welsh Government.

 

Business type: Debate

Reason considered: Government Business;

Status: Complete

First published: 14/06/2021

Decision due: 5 Dec 2017 by Plenary - Fifth Senedd

Lead member: Julie James MS