§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are exposed to nitrogen dioxide in the Heathrow area; and how many people she estimates will be exposed in(a) 2005 and (b) 2010. [144099]
§ Mr. BradshawDefra has not carried out an assessment of the number of people exposed to nitrogen dioxide in the Heathrow area. Assessments have been carried out on the current and future concentrations of pollutants.
Assessments of air quality impacts in the vicinity of Heathrow have been undertaken by the local authorities and by BAA plc. Having declared Air Quality Management Areas in the Heathrow area, the local authorities are developing action plans to reduce emissions. Some work has been undertaken on future predictions, for example by the London Borough of Hillingdon in relation to 2005. These assessments focus upon pollutant concentrations relative to limit values rather than exposed population.
In the context of air quality work supporting decisions to be announced in the forthcoming Aviation White Paper, the Department for Transport has run air quality emissions scenarios out as far as 2020. I understand this work will be made public following the publication the Aviation White Paper.