Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of emissions of (a) PM0.1, (b) PM1 and (c) PM2.5 (i) generally and (ii) from waste incineration sites.

Between 2017 and 2025, the total cost to the National Health Service and social care of air pollution in England is estimated to be £1.54 billion for PM2.5. In England, the total NHS and social care cost due to PM2.5 in 2017 was estimated to be £41.20 million, increasing to £76.10 million when diseases are included where the evidence is less robust for an association. Further information is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/708854/Estimation_of_costs_to_the_NHS_and_social_care_due_to_the_health_impacts_of_air_pollution.pdf

Public Health England in collaboration with the United Kingdom Health Forum and Imperial College, London has published a report and tool allowing the estimation of costs to the NHS of air pollution. The tool does not estimate the costs to NHS specifically from waste incinerator sites.