HC Deb 22 March 1993 vol 221 c490W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions his Department has had with outside bodies in regard to the draft EC framework directive on air quality standards.

Mr. Maclean

Discussions between European Commission officials and experts from member states are at an early stage and the general principles to be covered by the framework directive have not yet been settled. The Department has consulted experts involved in its current monitoring programmes and will be seeking the views of the expert panel on air quality standards and the quality of urban air review group, bodies specifically set up to advise the Department on these matters in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring is carried out by(a) his Department and (b) local authorities for levels of air pollution and their impact on health.

Mr. Maclean

[holding answer 17 March 1993]: My Department currently monitors or co-ordinates monitoring of air quality at a large number of sites in the United Kingdom. Many of these sites provide information which can be used to assess possible effects of air pollution on health. I have summarised such monitoring undertaken by the Department in the table. The table also indicates where all or some of the sites are operated by local authorities on behalf of the Department. Local authorities also undertake air quality monitoring independently of central Government. At present there are no centrally held records of these monitoring activities.