PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Air Pollution (18 March 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using large-scale hydrogen conversion projects to deliver improvements in air quality.

Asked by:
Anna Turley (Labour)

This question concerns both energy and air quality. Defra is the Government Department with policy responsibility for air quality and energy policy is within the remit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

We are working across Government to ensure future electricity, heat and industrial policies will together improve air quality and tackle climate change. Phasing out coal-fired power stations, improving energy efficiency, and shifting to cleaner power sources will reduce emissions of air pollution, as well as carbon.

As we phase out oil and coal heating, we will ensure this transition improves air quality wherever possible and cost-effective to do so.

Although Defra is unable to comment on hydrogen specifically, as part of our cross-departmental review into the role of biomass for heat and power, we have established a framework of principles and processes to ensure air quality is considered at the outset of policy development and appropriate tools and evidence are used to assess the impact on public health.

Answered by:
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Conservative)
21 March 2019