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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the level of lead emissions from iron and steel production in the last 12 months.

Iron and steel installations in England are regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016. All large industrial facilities must comply with environmental permits, use best available techniques (BAT) to reduce emissions to air, water and land, and monitor and report their emissions. The data submitted by operators is published on the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR). Data from 2022, including lead emissions from iron and steel sites, will be published in December 2023.

The National Atmospheric Emission Inventory estimates total lead emissions from these industries. Data for 2023 will be published in February 2025.