HC Deb 19 March 1993 vol 221 c435W
Mrs. Wise

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies she has made of the effects of air pollution in the area of the M25 corridor on the respiratory health of children in the area, and the incidence of asthma.

Mr. Sackville

None. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology under the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment.

The concentrations of pollutants in the United Kingdom associated with traffic sources are in most circumstances below those assessed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to have significant effects on health. The Department was represented at an air pollution workshop held by Surrey county council in July 1992 following concern expressed about pollution generated by the M25. The county council has since been in contact with the Department about the design of a study to investigate the possible effects of air pollutants.