§ 98. Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department's monitoring of the occurrence of ozone episodes.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryOn behalf of the Department, Warren Spring Laboratory operates a 17-site national ozone monitoring network, with 12 key sites permanently linked to a co-ordinating and assessment centre, allowing the constant evaluation of the United Kingdom ozone climate.
255WDuring ozone episodes, or should any site measure ozone concentrations above 60 parts per billion, the Department makes data from the network available to the public.
Low-level ozone is created by the action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. These pollutants are transported across national boundaries, and the Department sponsors a substantial programme of research into the computer modelling of ozone episodes as part of an international commitment to reduce their occurrence.