§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations and information he has had and from whom, concerning implications of the moving of the east London air quality monitoring station 2 km to the north-west for the accuracy of monitoring of air pollution; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryMy right hon. Friend has received no such representations. The Department has no responsibility for the east London air quality monitoring station in question.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update the figures in his answer of 26 July,Official Report, columns 381–82, for all of 1990 so far; and if he will list the dates, number of hours over 60 ppb, and maximum levels, from the ozone monitoring network covering the London area.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe dates, number of hours over 60 ppb and the maximum levels of ozone in ppb
162WThis means that bathing waters will be improved sooner, and for many discharges the standard of treatment provided will be better than previously planned. Our aim is to complete the improvement programme for all bathing waters that presently fail to comply with EC standards by 1995, although present indications are that this may not be practicable for nine large schemes where there are major technical difficulties.
The 1990 results for the United Kingdom are set out in summary form. I shall arrange for a more detailed summary of the results to be placed in the Library shortly, and we shall also be sending the results to the Commission of the European Communities.
measured at the Department of the Environment monitoring sites in the London area so far during 1990 are as follows:
163W
Date Number of hours over 60 ppb Maximum hourly mean, ppb Central London Laboratory, Minster House, Victoria May 5 6 88 6 6 79 June 17 4 67 July 8 4 69 15 1 64 18 2 61 20 3 79 21 7 96 August 1 3 69 3 3 74 4 5 83 Bridge Place, Victoria July 15 1 64 18 2 61 20 3 79 21 7 96 August 1 4 82 3 3 90 4 9 108 24 2 68 25 6 79 Stevenage, Hertfordshire April 1 1 63 June 17 4 82 29 2 64 July 15 11 100 18 1 63 19 6 101 20 9 110 21 13 126 August 21 7 89
Date Number of hours over 60 ppb Maximum hourly mean, ppb 2> 8 118 3 12 136 4 8 90 24 4 75 26 5 81 29 1 63 Harwell, Oxfordshire April 29 4 71 30 5 85 May 3 4 90 4 6 85 5 9 100 6 6 81 28 3 67 June 16 4 70 17 9 71 July 15 10 89 17 9 79 18 7 82 19 7 83 20 9 84 21 13 132 25 5 78 26 2 63 27 1 67 August 1 7 81 2 11 106 3 18 113 4 10 89 24 5 76 25 7 68 28 4 67 29 5 69
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department was notified that the BBC was prepared to use air quality information supplied by his Department; when the service was arranged to start; why the supply of information was withdrawn; when his Department notified the BBC of the need for a press conference about air quality; when the press conference took place; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryThe arrangements for the new public air quality information system were made with the Meteorological Office. It already supplies weather information to the media, and advised that there would be a demand for air quality data supplied at the same time. The service was launched by my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Mr. Trippier) at a press conference on 24 October. I am not aware of any break in availability of data from the Meteorological Office. The prominence given by the media to the information at any particular time will, of course, depend on the pollution levels reported.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to people to protect themselves from increased susceptibilities to infection and disease resulting from high levels of ozone.
§ Mr. DorrellI have been asked to reply.
The Department of Health has established an advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes. This group will consider what advice, if any, should be given by central Government about personal protection measures when levels of air pollution are high. It will give guidance on to whom this advice should be addressed, and what criteria should be adopted for issuing it.
164WA "Layman's Guide to Ozone" was issued in 1989 by the Department of the Environment with input on health aspects from the Department of Health. A copy is available in the Library.