, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, that's a fair point, and you mentioned there the review timescales in relation to a national soundscape strategy of around about five years. If anybody has any comment on that, or on any other aspect, we'd welcome it as we're taking evidence today. But…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Thank you. If there are no other comments on that—. Oh, sorry; go on, Joseph.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Yes, indeed, into an area that this committee hasn’t looked at a lot before, so we’re going to rely on your expertise now on soundscapes. So, in written evidence, some of you have expressed concerns about the review process for the soundscapes strategy. So…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, okay, that's interesting. Can I just go on? You've already touched, to some extent, on concerns relating to the reporting of progress on targets—section 5 of the Bill—and whether there should be more frequent—. You've already touched on this, so, you…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, that's really helpful to understand that. Sorry, Joseph, you've put your hand up.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, well, that's an important point, but can I just bounce your comment there back to Dr Jones? You made the point quite reasonably that we've been down cul-de-sacs before with things like emissions from diesel cars. A Minister could well argue, 'Actually…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, thank you for that. Professor Davies.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Okay, thank you. Joseph.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
And are you confident that that direction is set elsewhere in the Bill—I’m scanning through it rapidly—that we’re clear? Because Bills tend to be written in legalese, as opposed to ambition.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Right.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Thank you, Chair. As I'm listening to this, I'm reading with interest through the first draft of the legislation that we have in front of us, before amendments, which turns to the target setting and the fact that Ministers must be satisfied that the target or…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
I rest my case.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
That's brilliant. Could I then, before I pass on to others, just ask something to take your view on? The Bill—. One of the things we look at on the committee is the legalese of the Bill, if you like—the words within it and so on. Now, it's title, the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Thank you. Professor Davies, you had your hand up, but then it went down. Are you okay on this?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
That's a good example, and we might return to that later, I think, Chair, as well. You don't all have to answer this, but are there any other thoughts? Otherwise, I'll move on. Joseph.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
And are there things in your mind already that you've seen within the Bill that would cause that concern?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 2
Thank you, Chair. Can I ask you to what extent you believe the proposals in the Bill take account of existing health inequalities, and also prevent further inequalities occurring? I don't know who would like to begin on this. Dr Jones.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
But one of the things we could do, Chair, because the section within the Bill that deals with this is very much the technical, legalistic part of empowering the introduction of such schemes—it doesn't describe what the purpose or the principles behind them…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
So, do you think that is adequately addressed in the primary legislation in front of us, or should that be addressed subsequently in other work streams the Government is taking through, and that we need to get—if it's not on the face of the Bill—Ministers'…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
Yes, just to return for a moment to the social equity arguments around trunk-road charging, ultra-low-emission vehicles et cetera, and they are getting to be quite commonplace now, but you can deal—. I just want to put to you, because it's worth consideration…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
To pick up on this point, there's nothing there where we could tweak the wording to make it less 'hit the baseline', and more 'actively promote improvement'?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
You helpfully just answered the question I was going to ask in terms of the national air quality strategy, and different wording that could be used to change the emphasis. Is there anything that could be done in the Bill, do you think, on the local air…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
Yes. Great.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
So, you see it as that bigger, wider one that you have been arguing for.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Bill - evidence session 1
Thank you, Chair. I'm just really taken with your earlier comment that this needs some sort of independent oversight—some body, or whatever. The Minister sitting in front will push back and say, 'The last thing that we need is some other independent oversight…
