Sharing your experiences:
Air pollution

On 27 April 2021, Munira Wilson MP led a Westminster Hall debate: Air pollution in London.

In advance of the debate, she asked people across the UK how air pollution affects them and their local area.

Over 700 people shared their stories and experiences with Munira. She thanked them for their contributions and quoted several of them directly during the debate:

Thank you message from Munira Wilson:

Full debate:

The Government's response:

Rebecca Pow, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs responded to the debate.

She addressed the Government’s ambitions and policy agenda to improve air quality.  

Watch or read her full speech for details including:  

• The Government’s Clean air strategy 
• Provisions relating to air pollution in the Environment Bill 2019-21 
• Legislation coming into force on 1 May 2021 which restricts the sale of some fuels used in domestic burning 
• Air pollution monitoring and targets 

How your contributions are used:

In these exercises, your contributions are passed on to the MP leading the debate. They, or other MPs taking part may refer to your stories directly in their speeches.

Examples of previous exercises: maternal mental health; long covid.

What is a Westminster Hall Debate?

Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. 

Due to COVID-19 measures, Westminster Hall debates are taking place in hybrid form in a designated committee room. MPs are able to take part virtually or in person.

How Parliament works: Westminster Hall debates.

House of Commons Library research briefings:

• Air pollution in London (22 April 2021)
• Coronavirus: Air quality beyond 2020 (20 July 2020) 
• Commons Library analysis of the Environment Bill 2019-20 (6 March 2020) 
• Net zero targets and decarbonising transport (31 January 2020)

Debates

• Air Quality (3 February 2021) 
• Environment Bill: Remaining Stages (Day 1) (26 January 2021)
• Local Clean Air Targets (20 October 2020) 

Oral questions

• Virendra Sharma MP: Air Pollution: Brownfield Redevelopment (21 January 2021) 
• Fleur Anderson MP: Poor Air Quality: BAME Communities (26 November 2020) 
• Rupa Huq MP: Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles (26 November 2020) 
• Munira Wilson MP: Topical Questions (26 November 2020) 
• Dame Cheryl Gillan MP: Topical Questions (21 July 2020) 
• Sara Britcliffe MP: Air Pollution (19 March 2020) 
• Elliot Colburn MP: Air Pollution (6 February 2020) 

Written questions

• Mr Barry Sheerman, Air Pollution (22 March 2021) 
• Wera Hobhouse, Air Pollution (9 February 2021) 
• Alexander Stafford, UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Carbon Emissions (8 January 2021) 

Statements

• Alok Sharma (Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), Business Update (15 October 2020) 
• Grant Shapps (Secretary of State for Transport), Aviation Update (27 February 2020) 

Committee inquiries

• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: Fifth report: Air Quality and coronavirus: a glimpse of a different future or business as usual  

Upcoming debates

You can see upcoming debates and other parliamentary business on Parliament's What's on page.

You can watch all debates on parliamentlive.tv.

Contact your MP

When you or people living in your area are affected by decisions made by the UK Parliament or by the Government, you can contact your MP. MPs represent all the people in their local area, whether they vote for them or not.

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