Baroness Jenny Jones, the Green Party peer in House of Lords, said:

“The lack of Government funding is a clear message to the Mayor of London and those local authorities considering serious action on air pollution that they will have to go it alone. Any plans for ultra-low emission zones will need to phase out diesel vehicles in order to be tough enough to be effective, but they should also provide positive alternatives such as free, electric car club membership, access to ultra-low emission vans and freight consolidation centres. The government should be supporting those local authorities who are taking serious action and those drivers who want to do the right thing. The government’s failure to act will result in tens of thousands of people breathing dirty air and thousands who die prematurely.”