19 Accepted

DfT told us that it takes account of the uncertainty in the model when identifying...

Conclusion
DfT told us that it takes account of the uncertainty in the model when identifying local authorities requiring action, and that it worked with local authorities to update and reopen the model as required based on local monitoring.25 However Defra and DfT subsequently wrote to us to explain that there is not a formal margin of tolerance; instead, the national modelling is continually updated to reflect the latest evidence, and additional local authorities can be brought into the programme where new exceedances are identified.26 16 Q 14 17 Q 23 18 Qq 20, 57 19 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.5, 2.9 20 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.9, 2.10; UK Air Website 21 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12 22 C&AG’s Report, para 2.13 23 Q 7 24 Q 8 25 Q 61 26 Follow-up response submitted by Defra and DfT dated 11 July 2022 Tackling local air quality breaches 11
Government Response Summary
The government states it is satisfied that the best available evidence is used to identify areas needing action, continues to improve the national model, and has already established a new monitoring network to increase the number of locations assessing NO2 compliance.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented. The government is satisfied that the best available evidence that meets the stringent requirements for assessing compliance with the annual mean Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) limit value under the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010) (AQSR) has been used to identify areas in exceedance and bring them into the programme. An uncertainty of around +/-30% is not unusual for a model of this scale and complexity, and assessments have demonstrated that the national model meets the uncertainty requirements for assessing compliance under the AQSR. The government continues to work with external experts to identify and implement further targeted improvements to the national model to ensure it uses the best available evidence and reflects the impact of local measures. The government has also set up a new monitoring network which has greatly increased the number of locations where compliance with NO2 limits is assessed using measurements. This network is achieving lower levels of uncertainty (<15%) and has more than tripled the number of roadside measurements used in the NO2 compliance assessment. Since both modelled and measured values contain uncertainties, the government cannot definitively guarantee that all areas of exceedance have been identified. Where local authorities’ air quality monitoring identifies a potential NO2 breach, they can share this evidence with the Joint Air Quality Unit. Whether a locally identified breach should be tackled through the NO2 programme or through the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) regime will depend on whether the monitoring data meets the specific siting and data quality requirements of the AQSR.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 3.8 yrs
Report published 26 Oct 2022