Tim Farron MP: written questions
477 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Air Pollution: Health HazardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the types of health impacts of poor (a) ambient and (b) indoor air quality by (i) geography and (ii) socioeconomic groups.
Answer: Ambient and indoor air pollution are harmful to health in the United Kingdom. Long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, mainly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, dementia and lung cancer. Short-ter...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to strengthen communities' powers to improve accountability and local action on air pollution.
Answer: The Government supports communities and local authorities to take effective action on air pollution through the Local Air Quality Management framework, which requires local authorities to assess air quality and implement measures to address local issues. ...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110734More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues to determine the extent that her Department's policies on ambient air quality are interacting with policies on climate change mitig
Answer: Defra’s ambient air quality policy is delivered within the wider framework of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out commitments to improve air quality, restore nature and support climate objectives. The plan highlights that actions to tackle ...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110733More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether local authorities in England have the resources and powers to enforce existing legislation and regulation to improve local air quality.
Answer: Local authorities are centrally funded to fulfil statutory duties under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, which requires action where pollution is highest. The Government supports them through the Air Quality Hub, providing guidance and tools to...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110732More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department's ambient air quality policy is interacting with climate change mitigation, nature recovery and land use planning.
Answer: Defra’s ambient air quality policy is delivered within the wider framework of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out commitments to improve air quality, restore nature and support climate objectives. The plan highlights that actions to tackle ...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the UK's performance in comparison with international counterparts in setting standards for air quality in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.
Answer: We maintain a continued dialogue on ambient air quality with international partners and technical expert groups to inform our air quality policy, including through the ongoing revision of the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol and its obligations. The UK ha...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparisons and best practices can be learned from other countries to help improve air quality in England in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.
Answer: The Government recognises that air pollution is a local, regional, and global issue, and that there is considerable expertise, knowledge, and skills that countries, experts, and organisations can share to help reduce pollution across the world. We remain ...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Departmental CoordinationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110357More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Government departments other than his Department are able to have the biggest impact on improving levels of ambient air pollution; and how their policies seek to achieve this.
Answer: Air pollution comes from many different sources and has wide-ranging impacts. Issues such as air quality, climate action, public health and nature recovery are closely linked, creating opportunities for policies that deliver benefits across all these area...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Departmental CoordinationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110356More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support change on ambient air quality across Government.
Answer: We are determined to improve air quality and protect the public from the harm of pollution. That is why we are taking steps to reform areas like simpler industrial permitting to reduce emissions, and tightening standards for new wood burning appliances to...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: MonitoringDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110355More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of data capture and analysis for air quality within England.
Answer: Assessment of data capture is a routine activity to ensure air quality monitoring meets legislative requirements (data capture of at least 85% of the measurement period (i.e. at least 85% of days in a year) is required for compliance reporting. Networks o...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: MonitoringDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110354More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding and devolved powers to ensure the comprehensive monitoring of air quality in England.
Answer: Defra is responsible for the national monitoring of air quality (which includes England) through 16 different networks monitoring various pollutants. Departmental budgets, including budgets for air quality monitoring, are determined through departmental s...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110353More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the adequacy of alignment between national government targets and obligations and local government actions to improve ambient air quality in England.
Answer: National targets and local actions are aligned through statutory duties that require local authorities to assess air quality, designate Air Quality Management Areas, and produce Air Quality Action Plans tied to national air quality objectives. Local autho...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of how well examples of local best practice that exist to enforce existing legislation and regulation to improve local air quality are being rol
Answer: National targets and local actions are aligned through statutory duties that require local authorities to assess air quality, designate Air Quality Management Areas, and produce Air Quality Action Plans tied to national air quality objectives. Local autho...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of whether examples of best practice exist in England to achieve compliance with legislation and regulation to improve local air quality in each
Answer: Defra supports local authorities in implementing their statutory air quality duties by providing both resources and practical tools. A key example is the Air Quality Hub, which enables local authorities to collaborate, share best practice, and access guid...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of potential barriers and/or challenges to achieving national targets, requirements and performance standards for ambient air quality, indoor ai
Answer: Defra regularly assesses potential barriers and/or challenges to achieving national targets, requirements and performance standards in relation to ambient air quality and emissions. Performance against targets are reported annually in the emissions invent...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110349More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of national targets, requirements and performance standards for air quality and national emission ceilings in protecting public health, cli
Answer: Defra regularly assesses the adequacy of national air quality targets and emission ceilings through statutory annual reporting and formal reviews of the Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the national targets, requirements and performance standards are for ambient air pollution and national emission ceilings in the Air Quality Environment Act target delivery plan a
Answer: National targets and requirements for ambient air pollution are set out in the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010) and the Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) Regulations 2023. Emissions targets and requirements are set out in the Nationa...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110347More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the ten most common causes of air pollution in England in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.
Answer: Data on our largest sources of air pollution emissions can be found at Emissions of air pollutants - GOV.UK.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence exists of the direct and indirect impact of air pollution on (a) crop yields, (b) biodiversity, (c) pollinator, (d) rain, (e) stratospheric ozone, (f) water quality and (
Answer: Evidence is set out in the recent house of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s Nitrogen report: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldenvcl/161/16102.htmand and the Critical loads expert report Air_Pollution_Trends_Report_2...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence exists of direct and indirect impacts of ambient air pollution on (a) the climate, (b) the environment and (c) public health and their cascading effects.
Answer: The UKHSA Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report considered the relationship between climate change and outdoor air pollution and included new analyses of the health burden from long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the the top five impacts of air pollution in England on each of (a) the climate, (b) the environment and (c) public health and their cascadin
Answer: The UKHSA Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report considered the relationship between climate change and outdoor air pollution and included new analyses of the health burden from long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department holds data on the top five sources in tonnes of primary air pollution emissions in England for each of (i) fine particulate matter (PM2.5); (ii) nitrogen dioxide
Answer: Data on our primary air pollution emissions can be found at Emissions of air pollutants - GOV.UK.
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the prohibition on exhibiting Psittaciformes alongside (a) canaries and (b) finches at licensed bird gatherings; and if she will make an assessment of the potential
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. In England the general licence for gatherings of Psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons permits a gathering including a mix of these types of birds. Defra ...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to consult (a) regional bird clubs, (b) national exhibition and (c) any other avicultural organisations on licensing changes and their potential impact on
Answer: Defra officials will continue to engage stakeholders, including regional bird clubs, organisers of the National Exhibition and other avicultural organisations about the changes to the licences for bird gatherings via stakeholder forums and individual disc...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109520More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for Bird Gathering Licences to be approved no more than seven days before an event on (a) trends in the number,
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or ot...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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