The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee
continues its inquiry into the efficient use and management of
reactive nitrogen by hearing from Natural England and
representatives from local Government.
The session will start at 10am on Wednesday 23
April in Committee Room 4, Palace of
Westminster and can be followed live or afterwards on
Parliament TV.
Giving evidence on local Government at 10am will
be:
- Elle Winning,
Air Quality Lead, The West Midlands Combined Authority;
- Mike Garrity,
Corporate Director for Planning, Place, Dorset Council;
- Tom Parkes,
Air Quality Programme Manager, London Borough of Camden.
Members are likely to ask questions on:
- Planning;
- land management;
- working with farmers;
- local nature recovery strategies;
- monitoring urban air quality.
Giving evidence for Natural England at 11am will
be:
- Tony Juniper,
Chair, Natural England;
- Rob Cameron,
Deputy Director of Strategy, Natural England.
Members are likely to ask questions on:
- Natural England's work and responsibilities;
- relationships with Defra, local authorities and other
agencies;
- impacts on biodiversity;
- the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme.
Notes to Editors
- Nitrogen (N) is a naturally abundant element with nearly 80%
of the Earth's atmosphere composed of the inert gas di-nitrogen,
N2. Over the last century, conversion of N2 into reactive forms
has increased significantly through the Haber-Bosch process –
primarily for fertiliser production – and the burning of fossil
fuels. This has caused unprecedented changes to the global
nitrogen cycle.
Nitrogen pollution has significant public health and
environmental impacts: on water quality, air quality,
greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem health and biodiversity,
and soil quality.
- The committee's focus is on England, as most relevant matters
are devolved in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
