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<p>The Government is committed to improving air quality in the UK. Air quality has
improved significantly over recent decades, and will continue to improve, thanks to
actions we have already taken. Between 2010 and 2016, emissions of nitrogen oxides
fell by 27%. However, more still needs to be done.</p><p> </p><p>That is why the Government
is taking action which includes the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide
concentrations and £3.5 billion of investment in air quality and cleaner transport.
The Government has also committed £2.84 million from the Clean Bus Technology Fund
2017-19 to enable West Yorkshire Combined Authority to retrofit buses with technology
to reduce tailpipe emissions of nitrogen dioxide.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside national
action, local authorities have a crucial role to play in improving air quality in
their areas. They have a statutory duty to review and assess air quality, to declare
air quality management areas (AQMAs) and to put in place action plans where air quality
objectives are not being met. The City of York Council has declared three AQMAs to
target pollution hotspots, and adopted an action plan in 2015 covering all three AQMAs.</p><p>
</p><p>The Council was one of 230 English local authorities with longstanding air
quality challenges that I wrote to in November 2016 to better understand the circumstances
they face and to press the need for further action. The councils are taking a range
of actions to improve air quality, including development of an overarching Low Emission
Strategy designed to reduce emissions from all sources.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2006 a
total of £598,078 in air quality grant funding has been awarded to the City of York
Council (of which £216,008 was awarded in this year’s round) to support projects aimed
at improving air quality in its area. The Government’s Air Quality Grant fund is a
bid-in scheme to support local authorities to improve air quality.</p><p> </p><p>The
Government also provides guidance and technical support to local authorities via a
dedicated local air quality management helpdesk.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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