To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the research conducted by Dr Anitha Chinnaswamy, assistant professor at Coventry University’s Centre for Business in Society on the effects of outdoor air pollution on drive-thru employees and users, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on tackling drive-through staff's high exposure to air pollution.
Answered on
19 December 2022
Defra works collaboratively across Government to tackle air pollution and its impacts. Road vehicle emission standards have been very effective at reducing tailpipe emissions, and these will be further reduced through the UK’s phase out of petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030 and HGVs by 2040. Government continues to invest in emerging technological developments to reduce harmful emissions from road vehicle tyre and brake wear.
Through the Environment Act we are setting two stretching new targets for fine particulate matter – the pollutant most damaging to human health, and these and existing standards and targets will continue to drive down air pollution from all sources, including road transport.