Asked by: Lord Woolley of Woodford (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Black Child Clean Air Report published by Global Black Maternal Health in June 2023, which indicated that almost half of all Black mothers do not feel educated on the foetal impact of air pollution exposure during pregnancy.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
While no specific assessment has been made, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to review the Air Quality Information System to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups, have the information they need to protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. UKHSA’s Cleaner Air Programme also aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution and achieve better outcomes for all, particularly for the most vulnerable populations including pregnant women and ethnic minority groups.
Asked by: Lord Woolley of Woodford (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funds are available for organisations that aim to reduce air pollution in England.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has allocated £883 million of funding for local authorities under the 2017 UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Concentrations.
Defra also annually runs a Local Air Quality Grant to help local authorities across England reduce air pollution in their areas. This year we have committed to spending at least £6 million to fund projects targeting particulate matter, behavioural change campaigns and those aimed at reducing levels of NO2. The successful local authorities for this year will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Lord Woolley of Woodford (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Air Pollution and Inequalities in London report published on 30 June 2023 and commissioned by Greater London Authority, which found that Black people in London are more likely to live in areas with more polluted air.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Air quality matters in London are devolved to the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Lord Woolley of Woodford (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence that Black communities in London are more likely to breathe illegal levels of air pollution than White or Asian communities.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Air quality matters in London are devolved to the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Conservative - Bassetlaw)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of plastic pyrolysis plants on the environment in (a) residential and (b) other areas.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plastic pyrolysis plants in England will be regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, either by the Environment Agency or the relevant local authority, depending on the size and configuration of the plant.
Before issuing an environmental permit, the EA will carry out an environmental risk assessment of the process, including emissions to air, odour and noise. This will be done irrespective of the location of the plant, but a plant in a residential area may require more sensitive receptors to be assessed and tighter controls compared to one in a less densely populated area.
The EA will not issue a permit if the proposed plant could have a significant impact on the environment, including if it could have an unacceptable impact on air quality or cause pollution via odour or noise. If a permit is issued, the EA will carry out regular audits and inspections of the plant to ensure compliance.
The EA is not responsible for deciding where plastic pyrolysis plants should be located, whether they are the right solution for dealing with waste plastics, or for any vehicle movements to and from the plants. Instead, such matters are considered under planning by the relevant authority.
If the local authority is the regulator of the plant, the EA will have no control over the permitting or regulatory process, but it will be able to provide advice and guidance via its Local Authority Unit Team if the local authority requests it. Local authorities would be expected to have similar permitting and regulatory processes to those of the EA.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with (a) the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities and (b) local authorities to increase public awareness of the environmental impacts of domestic wood burning.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works closely with local authorities on all matters pertaining to air quality, including through providing relevant training and resources.
Local authorities are also able to bid for funding for projects to tackle emissions in their communities through our annual Local Air Quality Grant. We have committed to spend at least £6million on such projects this year.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will adopt the World Health Organisation's guidelines on the maximum permissible levels of pollutants, published in September 2021, in the context of research published by the University of Dundee on the impact of air pollution on hospital admissions for respiratory disease among children.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The World Health Organisation Air Quality Guidelines are intended to inform the setting of air quality standards and are not ready-made targets for adoption.
We recently set two new stretching and achievable targets for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under the Environment Act 2021, following an evidence-based process informed by the WHO Guidelines.
We are working towards delivering these targets as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 and Air Quality Strategy, which will have significant public health benefits, including for children.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of private jets on trends in the levels of (a) air pollution and (b) CO2 emissions.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has recently commissioned independent research to establish a baseline of carbon emissions by the General Aviation sector, which included private jets. Officials are considering next steps in how we can utilise the data from the report to support policy development and undertake measures to further support the decarbonisation of the sector.
In relation to local air quality, the impact of a standard aircraft’s emissions plume, at or above 3,000 ft, on nitrogen oxides (NOx) ground-level concentrations is very small even in a very conservative analysis, and 1,000 ft is the typical limiting altitude for ground-level NOx concerns.
We are taking active measures to reduce emissions from aviation whilst retaining our ability to fly. The aviation sector, including business aviation, is important for the whole of the UK economy, making an important contribution in terms of connectivity, direct economic activity, trade, investment and jobs.
The Jet Zero Strategy shows that the aviation sector can achieve net zero aviation by 2050 without government intervention limiting aviation growth. We will achieve our targets by focusing on new fuels and technology, which have economic and social benefits, without limiting demand.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that children in school are not exposed to high levels of air pollution.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department has published the Building Bulletin 101, which provides non-statutory guidance on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.
Local outdoor air quality is the responsibility of local authorities who should prepare air quality action plans to ensure the level of pollutants is reduced. In January 2019, the government published the Clean Air Strategy setting out plans to deal with all sources of pollution. This is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-air-strategy-2019.
Guidance on good estate management for ventilation in schools is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/health-and-safety.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether protocols exist to warn the (a) general public and (b) susceptible individuals during periods of high levels of air pollution.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government makes a wide range of information available to the public through the UK-Air website and X feed. This includes a five-day forecast, the latest local measurements from our nationwide monitoring networks, and health advice informed by the work of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.
Air quality 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 for both the general public and susceptible individuals.
As part of the Air Quality Information System review, we are conducting an evaluation assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of the current DAQI.