Clean Air Act 1956
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision for abating the pollution of the air. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 52 |
| Introduced by | Gerald Nabarro (Commons) |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 5 July 1956 |
| Commencement |
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| Repealed | 17 August 1993 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Repeals/revokes |
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| Repealed by | Clean Air Act 1993 |
| Relates to |
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Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Clean Air Act 1956 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Clean Air Act 1956 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 52) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted principally in response to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland, and was in effect until 1993.
The act introduced a number of measures to reduce air pollution. Primary among them was mandated movement toward smokeless fuels, especially in high-population "smoke control areas" to reduce smoke pollution and sulphur dioxide from household fires. The act also included measures that reduced the emission of gases, grit, and dust from chimneys and smoke-stacks.
The act was a significant milestone in the development of a legal framework to protect the environment. It was modified by later enactments, including the Clean Air Act 1968.
The whole act was repealed by the Clean Air Act 1993.