§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times in 1992 nitrogen dioxide levels in London exceeded the safety limits; and how many testing sites currently operate in Greater London.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 15 January 1993]: The limit value in the EC directive on nitrogen dioxide (85/203/EEC) was not exceeded at any of the sites in London in 1992. There are currently two sites monitoring for compliance with the EC directive at Bridge place, Victoria and in Warwick road, Earl's Court. Two other sites also measure nitrogen dioxide in London. These are at Russell square, Bloomsbury, which forms part of the recently established enhanced monitoring network, and at Cromwell road, Kensington, a kerbside site on a busy road.
The EC directive contains two non-mandatory guide values and in 1992, on the basis of provisional data, both were exceeded at three sites, with only one of the guide values exceeded at the Warwick road (Earl's Court) site.