HC Deb 04 February 1997 vol 289 cc785-6
5. Mr. Soley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding air pollution. [12504]

Mr. Gummer

My Department has received 420 representations from members of the public, business, local authorities and other bodies, in response to consultation on the draft national strategy for air quality, which the Government are preparing in accordance with the Environment Act 1995.

Mr. Soley

Bearing in mind the fact that one in seven children suffer from asthma, which is thought to be aggravated—and even occasionally caused—by air pollution, and given that nobody believes that the Government have coherent policies on transport or air pollution, what hope does the Secretary of State offer to those children and their parents?

Mr. Gummer

I am surprised by the hon. Gentleman's final comments. We have a national air quality strategy and have arranged a common strategy with the rest of the European Union. We are seen as the leader in Europe on this. I have committed myself to getting rid of summer and winter smog within 10 years, and shall spend much of my time working on that. Our policies are the best in Europe. We are continuing along those lines with an integrated transport strategy, which the hon. Gentleman knows about. On environmental issues, the Labour party knows so little and cares so little that it cannot even produce a coherent question.

Mr. Evennett

I welcome what my right hon. Friend has done to improve air quality and to monitor the effects of pollution. Is he aware that, in my part of south-east London, there are still considerable air pollution problems? Will he continue to look into those problems and examine the results of the monitoring that is taking place in Bexley?

Mr. Gummer

Certainly. As my hon. Friend knows, we are working closely with local authorities. I am happy to consider the specific problems of the London borough of Bexley. Air quality is improving. We have high standards to attain, which we are determined to reach. We are recognised by the rest of the world as being well ahead of most other countries.

Mr. Meacher

How can the Secretary of State pretend that he is being serious about his so-called air quality strategy when it fails to set any standards for before 2005, when even then it fails to set any statutory standards for PM10s—by far the most dangerous particles—when it allows monitoring away from the areas of greatest traffic density and when he has provided no powers or money to local authorities to implement it? For all those who have suffered from the doubling in recent years of air pollution-caused asthma, is not the strategy just another pathetic Tory pre-election scam?

Mr. Gummer

I know that the hon. Gentleman is coming from a long distance back, as the Opposition have done nothing about the environment. It seems that even less will be done now, as the hon. Gentleman has not even read his brief properly. He does not appear to know that we have provided local authorities with money and powers and that we are working with them to carry out our national air strategy. Nor does he seem to understand that we hosted a conference of northern European nations to work out a common air quality strategy that we now lead. No doubt the hon. Gentleman will suggest that we should spend more money and propose a whole series of new taxes to pay for that. The Government have achieved the necessary results. We are leading the rest of Europe—something that the hon. Gentleman could never understand or achieve.

Mr. Tredinnick

Will my right hon. Friend discuss with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport the key problem of vehicle exhaust emissions? Is he aware that only 40,000 vehicles were tested last year and 6 per cent. were found to be above the limit? Particularly in respect of the M1, which carries the heaviest traffic, does he agree that that is a completely inadequate number, and that the Vehicle Inspectorate needs to test many more vehicles in order to cut down the toxic fumes from which we all suffer on motorway journeys?

Mr. Gummer

I am sure that my hon. Friend is right to say that we need to concentrate more on that. We are taking part in the negotiations on the auto-oil programme so that it will be a success throughout Europe. As my hon. Friend knows, half the pollution in Britain comes from the rest of Europe and we export half our pollution to Europe. We need a common policy, and we are determined to achieve it.