Responding to the new legislation relating to the Retained EU Law Bill, Tim Dexter, Clean Air Lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
"Air pollution is a public health emergency, which contributes up to 43,000 early deaths every year in the UK. Through this new legislation, the government are looking to remove their legal responsibility to reduce emissions, meaning if they fail to meet their targets they cannot be held to account. The government's attempt to avoid accountability is another example of an unambitious and delayed approach to tackling air pollution. The government mustn’t continue to drag its heels on air pollution, hoping the problem disappears. We need legal responsibilities in place with bold targets to protect our lungs from this invisible threat."