§ Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment concerning reducing air pollution.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Department's officials have frequent discussions with their colleagues in the Departments of Transport and of the Environment.
§ Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies her Department has undertaken in the last three years to investigate the correlation between levels of air pollution and the number of people being admitted to hospital with breathing problems.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Department funded a research project which examined the effects of the December 1991 air pollution episode in London when the highest recorded peak of nitrogen dioxide occurred. This study included investigations of the increased admissions to hospital and increased mortality occurring during the week containing the episode. An outline of the results of this study has been presented to the British Thoracic Society. As soon as the full report is available, it will be put for comments to the Department of Health's expert advisory Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.
There are several other studies of the health effects of air pollution that are being funded by other Departments or establishments. When published, the results of the United Kingdom studies are referred to COMEAP and COMEAP sub-groups.
§ Mr. JamiesonTo ask the Secretary of State for health what is her Department's estimate of the number of people who are admitted to hospital each year as a result of breathing toxic exhaust fumes.
§ Mr. SackvilleHospital admissions are not recorded according to cause of illness and it is not possible, on present information, to make any reliable estimate of the numbers admitted as a result of breathing toxic exhaust fumes.