GREEN MEP Molly Scott Cato has slammed what she calls the shocking disregard for the UK’s air quality crisis as the Government seeks to delay action on tackling air pollution.

The Government claims that the ‘purdah’ period in the run-up to the General Election means they cannot take action until a new government is formed, probably on June 9.

Environmental lawyers Client Earth won a second High Court challenge against the Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom last November over her failure to take measures that would bring the UK into compliance with EU air quality laws.

The court set the minister a deadline of April 24, to produce a new plan. The European Commission also sent a final warning to the UK in February over its failure to address repeated breaches of legal air pollution limits in 16 areas, including London and the South East.

The Government had two months to respond to the warning but has not published its response to the Commission or its High Court-mandated plan to clean up Britain’s air.

Molly Scott Cato and her Green MEP colleagues Jean Lambert and Keith Taylor have written to the Secretary Of State for Defra, Andrea Leadsom, demanding to know why the Government has failed to fulfil what they say are its legal and moral duty.

They have also written to Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella calling for the EU to take action against the Government.

Ms Scott Cato said: “It’s a scandal ministers show such shocking disregard for the UK’s legal and moral obligation to take action on air pollution.”