Oxford Zero Emission Zone 'not about attacking motorists'
Mr Jarvis said the plans were "not about attacking motorists or making motorists' life more difficult"."Disproportionately the people who drive the most polluting vehicles are at the richest ends of society, and those who suffer the worst effects are at the poorest ends of society," he added.
'Attempted gotcha'
The Independent Oxford Alliance motion requested an analysis of nitrogen oxide (NO2) air pollution in the proposed expanded ZEZ, and for any future reports to include an in-depth analysis of pollution levels in the proposed expanded zone.Independent councillor Dr Amar Latif said: "At heart the motion is about getting more information.""If we as an authority vote against this motion, residents will ask what we are trying to hide," he said.David Henwood, who put the motion forward, added: "We want to see what those levels are, and we want to be accountable to our public and show them what that data is."But Lib Dem party leader Chris Smowton called the motion "an attempted gotcha", adding it "ignores that any level of NO2 pollution is hazardous to health" and that it is not the only pollutant emitted by motor vehicles.The current ZEZ scheme, which involves charging non-electric vehicle drivers with the aim of improving air quality, is being delivered by Oxfordshire County Council - though the city council previously oversaw it.The zone is supported by the Liberal Democrats and Green Party coalition-run county council, as well as the Labour-run city council.It was Labour that initially developed the scheme, although the idea was first proposed in 2015 by the then Conservative-run county council.The Tories now oppose the scheme though, questioning its impact on businesses.
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Ministers urged to explain plans which could re-establish Hong Kong extraditions
The move could put at risk dissident Hongkongers who have fled to the UK to avoid recrimination by the Chinese government, a senior Conservative warned. Shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns urged the Government to ensure 'protections will be put in place to ensure no Hongkonger, CCP (Chinese Community Party) critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement'. The UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong was suspended by the then-Tory government after a new national security law was imposed on the territory by China in 2020. The treaty meant Hong Kong could request that someone living in the UK suspected of a crime at home could be handed over to face justice, and vice versa. Fears that the law could lead to human rights abuses were behind the UK's reasoning to put the agreement on ice. Ministers have now introduced a law change in the Commons which would tweak how Hong Kong is designated under the 2003 Extradition Act. The statutory instrument introduced in the Commons on July 17 would effectively establish a 'case-by-case' extradition route with Hong Kong, as well as Zimbabwe. It also changes how Chile is classified under the Act because the South American country has signed an international extradition treaty. In a letter to shadow home secretary Chris Philp seen by the PA news agency, security minister Dan Jarvis suggested the change was needed as no extradition to Hong Kong can currently be made 'even if there were strong operational grounds to do so'. Mr Jarvis added: 'The way to resolve this situation is to de-designate Hong Kong and Zimbabwe from the Act so that we can co-operate with them on the case-by-case ad hoc basis available for non-treaty partners. 'The safety and security of our citizens is our top priority. 'Ensuring that territories are correctly designated under the Act will ensure that the UK can accept extradition requests in a lawful and timely way to ensure the public is not put at risk.' Writing in response to Mr Jarvis, shadow minister Ms Kearns questioned why the Government had taken the step, as she said the situation in Hong Kong had 'worsened' in the years since the national security law was introduced. She pointed to the case of Jimmy Lai, the 77-year-old British national and proprietor of the Apple Daily newspaper, who is facing detention by the Chinese government, as well as other critics of Beijing. 'Has the Government assessed political freedom and the rule of law have been returned to Hong Kong, or have you decided these issues are no longer saleable alongside the 'reset' in relations between the UK and China?' Ms Kearns asked in her letter. Government plans to reintroduce extradition cooperation with Hong Kong are highly concerning. Why does the Government deem this reasonable when freedom of expression, political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong have been crushed by The National Security Law and the… — Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) July 24, 2025 In a post on social media, she added: 'I urge the Government to give urgent reassurances on how this system will be safely managed and what protections will be put in place to ensure no Hong Konger, CCP critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement.' The Hong Kong national security law criminalises anything considered to be secessionist from China, and has led to a crackdown on critics of Beijing. Some 150,000 Hongkongers have moved to the UK under a special visa scheme launched in early 2021, after the law was introduced. Since coming to power, Labour has sought to reset relations with China with the aim of boosting trade, after the Conservatives took an increasingly hawkish attitude towards the country while they were in office. In a statement, security minister Mr Jarvis said it was 'entirely incorrect to say the UK has restored extradition co-operation with Hong Kong'. He added: 'The 1997 treaty remains suspended and this legislation simply completes the severing of ties between the British and Hong Kong extradition systems. This amendment is in order to give legal effect to the suspension of the extradition treaty with Hong Kong.' The Government is 'unwavering in its commitment to upholding human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK, including the many Hong Kongers who have made this country their home', Mr Jarvis said.
Rhyl Journal
15 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Ministers urged to explain plans which could re-establish Hong Kong extraditions
The move could put at risk dissident Hongkongers who have fled to the UK to avoid recrimination by the Chinese government, a senior Conservative warned. Shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns urged the Government to ensure 'protections will be put in place to ensure no Hongkonger, CCP (Chinese Community Party) critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement'. The UK's extradition treaty with Hong Kong was suspended by the then-Tory government after a new national security law was imposed on the territory by China in 2020. The treaty meant Hong Kong could request that someone living in the UK suspected of a crime at home could be handed over to face justice, and vice versa. Fears that the law could lead to human rights abuses were behind the UK's reasoning to put the agreement on ice. Ministers have now introduced a law change in the Commons which would tweak how Hong Kong is designated under the 2003 Extradition Act. The statutory instrument introduced in the Commons on July 17 would effectively establish a 'case-by-case' extradition route with Hong Kong, as well as Zimbabwe. It also changes how Chile is classified under the Act because the South American country has signed an international extradition treaty. In a letter to shadow home secretary Chris Philp seen by the PA news agency, security minister Dan Jarvis suggested the change was needed as no extradition to Hong Kong can currently be made 'even if there were strong operational grounds to do so'. Mr Jarvis added: 'The way to resolve this situation is to de-designate Hong Kong and Zimbabwe from the Act so that we can co-operate with them on the case-by-case ad hoc basis available for non-treaty partners. 'The safety and security of our citizens is our top priority. 'Ensuring that territories are correctly designated under the Act will ensure that the UK can accept extradition requests in a lawful and timely way to ensure the public is not put at risk.' Writing in response to Mr Jarvis, shadow minister Ms Kearns questioned why the Government had taken the step, as she said the situation in Hong Kong had 'worsened' in the years since the national security law was introduced. She pointed to the case of Jimmy Lai, the 77-year-old British national and proprietor of the Apple Daily newspaper, who is facing detention by the Chinese government, as well as other critics of Beijing. 'Has the Government assessed political freedom and the rule of law have been returned to Hong Kong, or have you decided these issues are no longer saleable alongside the 'reset' in relations between the UK and China?' Ms Kearns asked in her letter. Government plans to reintroduce extradition cooperation with Hong Kong are highly concerning. Why does the Government deem this reasonable when freedom of expression, political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong have been crushed by The National Security Law and the… — Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) July 24, 2025 In a post on social media, she added: 'I urge the Government to give urgent reassurances on how this system will be safely managed and what protections will be put in place to ensure no Hong Konger, CCP critic or anyone targeted by the CCP will be extradited under the new arrangement.' The Hong Kong national security law criminalises anything considered to be secessionist from China, and has led to a crackdown on critics of Beijing. Some 150,000 Hongkongers have moved to the UK under a special visa scheme launched in early 2021, after the law was introduced. Since coming to power, Labour has sought to reset relations with China with the aim of boosting trade, after the Conservatives took an increasingly hawkish attitude towards the country while they were in office. In a statement, security minister Mr Jarvis said it was 'entirely incorrect to say the UK has restored extradition co-operation with Hong Kong'. He added: 'The 1997 treaty remains suspended and this legislation simply completes the severing of ties between the British and Hong Kong extradition systems. This amendment is in order to give legal effect to the suspension of the extradition treaty with Hong Kong.' The Government is 'unwavering in its commitment to upholding human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK, including the many Hong Kongers who have made this country their home', Mr Jarvis said.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Sir Keir Starmer is believed to have raised the case of a British man detained in India for years, with the country's prime minister. Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'
