HC Deb 12 April 1994 vol 241 cc128-9W
Mr. Shore

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to increase(a) the number of nitrogen dioxide pollution monitoring sites in London and (b) the number of London sites in the enhanced urban network of air quality monitoring stations; and what is the average cost of each pollution monitoring site.

Mr. Atkins

The Government are committed to extending the enhanced urban monitoring network to cover all major cities by 1997. In addition the Government are currently considering responses to the recently published consultation paper on "The Future of Air Quality Monitoring Networks in the United Kingdom", in which proposals were made to develop a framework which draws local and national air quality monitoring together into a coherent quality assured network. Any expansion in the number of monitoring sites within the London area will be made in the context of these two initiatives.

The average cost to establish an enhanced urban network site is of the order of £110,000 with an additional annual running cost of £75,000. The capital cost of establishing an automatic nitrogen dioxide monitoring site is about £30,000 with a subsequent annual running cost of an additional £25,000.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for co-ordinating the collection and assessment of air pollution data from local authority environmental health department monitoring equipment and his Department's network of pollution monitoring stations.

Mr. Atkins

The Government are considering responses to the recently published consultation paper on "The Future of Air Quality Monitoring Networks in the United Kingdom", which included proposals to develop a framework which draws local and national air quality monitoring together into a coherent quality assured network.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the OPSIS users group of local authority air pollution monitoring equipment users.

Mr. Atkins

My Department is aware of the work of this group.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received to resite the Frederick street, Cardiff, air pollution monitoring station away from the pedestrian shopping precinct and to resite the Croft street monitoring station away from the traffic management scheme area; what guidelines he has issued as to the priority of(a) kerbside and (b) pedestrian congregation areas for measurement of vehicle exhaust emission levels as regards (a) PM10 and (b) benzene; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question on 30 March,Official Report, column 872, on siting criteria for air quality monitoring.

I have received no representation on the siting of the Frederick street or Croft street monitoring stations. I have published no guidelines on the priority or otherwise of kerbside and pedestrian congregation areas for air quality monitoring purposes.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the guidelines pertaining to the siting requirements for air pollution monitoring stations; what proposals he has for ensuring that vehicle exhaust emission air pollution is measured by monitoring stations located in sites other than in pedestrian precincts; what representations he has received in relation to the location of the air pollution monitoring station at Frederick street, Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins

[holding answer 31 March 1994]: The siting criteria of the Department of the Environment's enhanced urban network are given in the "Enhanced Urban Monitoring Network Site Operators Manual". A copy of the siting criteria have been placed in the Library of the House. Sites which are established to monitor compliance with an EC directive are located according to the requirements of the directive. Air quality is monitored at the kerbside monitoring station at Cromwell road, London within lm of the road.

I have received no representation on the location of the air quality monitoring station at Frederick street, Cardiff.