HC Deb 18 November 2002 vol 394 cc5-6W
Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which organisations are responsible for monitoring air quality. [80503]

Alun Michael

In England, legal responsibility for monitoring ambient air quality lies with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In addition the Environment Agency is responsible for ambient air quality monitoring arrangements in relation to regulated industrial processes in England and Wales. Local authorities are responsible for reviewing and assessing ambient air quality in their areas. This usually includes some monitoring of key pollutants. Defra manages the United Kingdom ambient air quality monitoring network on behalf of the Government and the devolved administrations.

Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what air quality targets have been set by her Department over the last five years; [80507]

what procedure is followed to review air quality targets; [80515]

what plans she has to implement higher air quality targets. [80502]

Alun Michael

The Government set out their targets for safeguarding people's health and protecting the environment from air pollution in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which was first published in 1997 and revised in January 2000. The strategy includes health-based standards for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide, lead, particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and low level ozone. It also includes policy objectives for each pollutant to be achieved between 2003 and 2008. On 5 August 2002 we announced tighter objectives for particles, benzene and carbon monoxide and introduced a new objective for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Section 20 of the Environment Act 1995 requires the Secretary of State to keep the Air Quality Strategy and its standards, objectives and measures under regular review. The Secretary of State is required to consult with a wide range of interests and organisations on any proposals to modify the strategy. We carried out a comprehensive review of the overall strategy and its objectives between 1997 and 1999. A further review began in 2000, concentrating on strengthening three of the current objectives and adding an objective for a new pollutant. We intend that the next review, which is likely to begin during 2003, should focus more on progress towards meeting the objectives, rather than on objectives themselves. Should new evidence emerge, however, which indicates that existing air quality targets should be amended, or new ones introduced, this will be taken into account in future reviews.