The House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee
will hold a one-off evidence session on Wednesday 13 June to
investigate why the UK Government is being taken to court for
failing to comply with the EU air quality Directive.
The UK has persistently exceeded the limits for air
nitrogen dioxide set out in the Directive and as a result, the
European Commission announced it was referring the UK, and five
other countries, to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The Committee will question Client Earth and local authorities on
the possible outcomes of the court case and the barriers to
complying with the air quality limits.
The evidence session will begin at 10:30am in
Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords. Giving evidence will
be:
-
Katherine Nield, lawyer at,
ClientEarth
At 11.15am the Committee will question:
-
Polly Cook, Executive Programme Manager, Leeds City
Council,
-
Mai Jarvis, Environmental Quality Team
Manager, Oxford City Council
-
Marshall Poulton, Assistant Director (Transport),
Newcastle City Council and Core Cities UK Chair
Areas the Committee are likely to cover
include:
-
The extent to which the UK has implemented
the Directive, and the barriers to full
implementation
-
What the outcome of the court action might
be
-
Whether
Brexit could interrupt the court
proceedings
-
How the UK Government will be held to account
post-Brexit, in terms of meeting its air quality
obligations.
