Mayor Boris Johnson has challenged MPs to quiz UK Ministers and EU officials as part of an inquiry into air quality.
In April the Mayor declined an invitation to appear before MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee which is investigating the role of local authorities – including the Greater London Authority – in tackling pollution.
Committee chair Joan Walley said MPs wanted to look at the “the particular circumstances that London faces, what it is doing and what more it could do”.
The Mayor declined the invitation, saying diary commitments meant he was unable to attend but offered to send his senior environment advisor, Matthew Pencharz, to brief the committee on his behalf.
Following a further exchange of letters, Mr Johnson has now offered to appear in the autumn.
Despite publicising its correspondence with the Mayor, the committee has yet to announce any other requested or confirmed witnesses.
In an apparent reference to this, the Mayor has asked Walley to confirm whether MPs intend to call minsters from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, EU officials “and other key national agencies”.
In a letter sent to the MP this week, Mr Johnson says “air quality is a national issue” and insists the committee will need to hear evidence “from the widest possible number of stakeholders” if it’s to have a full understanding of the issue.
