Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of current levels of PM2.5 on the health and well-being of over 60s in England.

The UK Health Security Agency has not made a specific assessment. However, it is well known that elderly people and children are among the most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. Long term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy. Effects also include adverse birth outcomes, cognitive decline and dementia.