Neil took part in a debate in Westminster Hall on low emissions vehicles (LEVs) to argue that they were key to improving air quality and reducing the UK’s Nitrogen Dioxide levels.

Neil intervened on the proposer of the debate, Glyn Davies MP, and the Transport Minister, Robert Goodwill MP, to argue that better infrastructure to promote electric and low emissions vehicles was vital in the fight to reduce air pollution in the inner cities and ensure the UK hits its legal obligations on air quality.

In April, the Environment Select Committee, chaired by Neil, published a report calling on the Government to take urgent action to improve air quality in the nitrogen dioxide hotspots and promote the use of cleaner vehicles.

Neil’s two interventions were:

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this debate. The Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently looked into air quality, and one issue is the hotspots in the cities where we have very high levels of nitric oxide. We therefore need to get our diesel lorries, cars and buses out of those areas. We need more electric cars and electric vehicles. Government support to install the necessary plug-in points, and so on, especially in the centre of cities, is important to increasing air quality in those hotspots.”

“I congratulate the Government on the money they are spending in this sector. However, in the particular hot spots within cities, where there is actually a court case for Britain to reduce its emissions by 2025, there is a need to act much more quickly, particularly in those inner-city areas where we have problems with nitric oxide.”

You can read the full 30 minute debate at this link