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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many national air pollution episodes there have been since May 2014; how many days in total those episodes covered; and what is their estimate of the health impacts in terms of deaths and hospital admissions as a result of those episodes.

An air pollution episode is defined as a period during which the level of any measured pollutant monitored by the UK’s network of air pollution monitoring sites has recorded High or Very High against the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). Also, when Ozone is measured to have breached the Information threshold of 180 micrograms per cubic metre for 1 hour (as defined in Air Quality legislation) this is classified as an air pollution episode. Since the beginning of May 2014 there have been 27 air pollution episodes which have affected parts of the UK and have lasted for a combined total of 57 days.

No two air pollution episodes are the same. They vary in duration, intensity, geographical spread and the nature of the pollutants involved. For these reasons it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the combined health impacts resulting from the 27 episodes in terms of deaths and hospital admissions.

A 2016 study undertaken by Public Health England in collaboration with the Met Office, looked at two air pollution episodes (related to particulate matter, PM2.5) from 12 to 14 March and 28 March to 3 April 2014. The study found that over the 10-day duration of the two episodes, around 600 deaths were brought forward from short-term exposure to PM2.5 (3.9% of total mortality during these days). We would expect around 300 of these deaths to be brought forward had there been more typical springtime concentrations of PM2.5. The total burden of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular causes associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5 was estimated to be around 1500 across the UK (around 3.5% of total emergency respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions). Around 785 of these would be expected from more typical pollution levels at this time of year.

The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. That is why we have committed more than £2 billion since 2011 to reduce transport emissions and the autumn statement provided a further £290 million to support greener transport. We will also be consulting on a new national plan for nitrogen dioxide by 24 April.