HC Deb 08 June 1998 vol 313 cc415-6W
Mr. Levitt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many days during May the Government's ozone health safety guideline in atmospheric air was breached in High Peak; and if he will make a statement. [44376]

Angela Eagle

My Department measures air quality at the Ladybower site in Derbyshire.

There were six days during May when the National Air Quality standard for ozone (50 parts per billion (ppb) as an 8-hour running mean) was exceeded at Ladybower. The levels on these days reached the "moderate" air pollution band. There were no days during May when air pollution reached "high" (greater than 90ppb as an hourly mean). The highest hourly ozone concentration recorded during May at Ladybower was 69ppb.

Mr. Levitt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets he has set and measures he has put in place to reduce atmospheric ozone to below the Government's ozone health safety limit. [44377]

Angela Eagle

The Government have adopted a provisional objective for ozone of 50 parts per billion as a running 8-hour mean, to be achieved at the 97th percentile level, i.e. on all but 10 days per year assuming perfect operation of the monitoring station with 100 per cent. data capture throughout the year, by 2005.

Ozone is a secondary pollutant found in the atmosphere from the reaction of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. It is a transboundary pollutant in that precursors emitted in one country can contribute to ozone formation in others. Action to tackle ozone formation needs, therefore, to be taken in a coherent fashion at a European scale in order to optimise the cost effectiveness of abatement measures.

The United Kingdom has implemented many measures aimed at reducing ozone precursor emissions. These include ratification of the UNECE-CLRTAP (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe-Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution) Protocol to reduce emissions of VOCs by 30 per cent. relative to 1988, ratification of a UNECE-CLRTAP Protocol to stabilise emissions of nitrogen oxides at 1987 levels, implementation of several European Community Directives to reduce exhaust emissions of VOCs and nitrogen oxides from road vehicles, implementation of an EC Directive to reduce emissions of VOCs from the storage and distribution of petrol and implementation of the European Community Directive limiting the emissions from Large Combustion Plant.

In addition, the Government are currently actively participating in discussions on further European measures to reduce emissions of VOCs from the use of solvents and further measures to reduce emissions from road vehicles planned for the years 2000 and 2005. Furthermore, and due to the international nature of ozone formation, the Government are actively participating in discussions to develop a further UNECE-CLRTAP protocol and a European Community Strategy to address ozone.