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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to communicate to the public the (a) dangers of air pollution in rural and urban areas from indoor and outdoor sources and (b) steps that can be taken to mitigate the health impact of air pollution from those sources.

Defra provides a wide range of air quality data and information to the public through the UK-AIR website. This includes a five-day air pollution forecast; these forecasts are communicated using the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). The DAQI informs the public about levels of air pollution in their area and provides health advice in the form of recommended actions that could be taken according to the level of air pollution.

Alongside the information we already provide to the public, we are conducting a holistic review of the way we communicate air quality information and advice to ensure the public is provided with timely and relevant information about air pollution, actions people can take to limit their personal exposure, the impact of air pollution on their health, and their own influence on air quality.