Diesel scrappage scheme plans WILL be published before election after High Court ruling
HIGH Court has ruled that the UK Government must publish its air quality plans before the General Election, after attempting to delay the process.
Conservative MP outlines plans for new diesel scrappage scheme
The air pollution plan which will reveal details of the diesel scrappage scheme and toxin tax will have to be published before the General Election.
On Friday 21st April, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) lodged a new application with the High Court to halt publication of the plans until after the June 8 poll.
The Government was given until 24th April to publish the latest plans to reduce illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution in the UK after previous plans had been rejected.
Defra said that the delay to publishing the plans was necessary to comply with election ‘purdah’ rules.
Diesel scrappage scheme plans to be published before the general election
Mr Justice Graham has now ordered the government to proceed plans after the local elections on May 9th.
The final air pollution plans will be submitted on 31 July.
Mr Justice Garnham today ordered the government to produce the plans after the local elections on 9 May. The final plans must be produced by 31 July.
Plans to reduce the high levels of air pollution in the UK are be published soon
Reacting to the judgment, ClientEarth CEO James Thornton, said: “We are delighted with the ruling.
We cannot afford more dither and delay from the government
“We cannot afford more dither and delay from the government.
“Rather than appeal this decision, they need to get on and produce their plans to bring down air pollution as soon as possible.”
“The judge agreed with us that this is a matter of public health, not politics.”
Yesterday, the judge has called the government to High Court to justify its application for a last minute extension to the deadline to produce draft plans to clean up the UK’s illegal levels of air pollution.
However, when pressed by the judge, the government’s Counsel said he could not give the court a “guarantee” that delaying the draft plan past the general election would not have an impact on the implementation of measures to reduce air pollution as soon as possible.
The judge did, however, accept that purdah rules would affect local elections but would not influence the final publication date for plans that he set in his ruling in November of last year.