Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department’s national air quality monitoring data from Preston Park and Worthing for the purpose of assessing the compliance of Brighton and Hove Local Authority area with EU limits of nitrogen dioxide NO2 air pollution; if he will make it his policy to include Brighton and Hove City Council local NO2 pollution monitoring data from (a) North Street Low Bus Emission Zone and (b) Lewes Road link to the universities in the national assessment; if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the national model assessment in determining which cities comply with the NO2 limit; and if he will make a statement.

Preston Park and Worthing A27 Roadside monitoring sites were chosen to measure background and roadside pollution concentrations respectively within reporting zone 10 (Brighton, Worthing and Littlehampton) and is sited in accordance with EU requirements for compliance purposes. In 2016, the data captured at the Worthing A27 Roadside site did not meet the requirements for assessment under the Air Quality Directive. The site was only brought into operation in October 2016 so the required data capture of at least 75% for the year could not be achieved. For 2017 we expect both sites to be included in the assessment subject to data validation procedures.

The national model is designed to meet the specific requirements for assessing compliance with the nitrogen dioxide limits, as set out in the Ambient Air Quality Directive. The High Court found [in Mr Justice Garnham’s judgment, handed down on 21 February 2018] that our national air quality modelling and monitoring are compliant with these legal requirements. Data that does not meet the Directive requirements cannot be incorporated in this assessment, but should continue to be used by local authorities to monitor air quality as part of the Local Air Quality Management process.