HC Deb 28 March 1994 vol 240 cc490-1W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the levels of(a) atmospheric pollution, (b) oxides of nitrogen and (c) black smoke emissions in the Doncaster area in each year since 1985.

Mr. Atkins

Annual average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and black smoke in the Doncaster area from 1985 to 1993 are given in the tables.

1. Nitrogen Dioxide (ppb)
Year Site Address NO2 Conc (ppb)
1986 Ambulance Station Armthorpe Road DN2 SLU 24.0
1986 College of Technology Waterdale 24.0
1986 Barnsley Road Scawsby 25.0
1986 Mere Lane Armthorpe 19.0
1991 Ambulance Station Armthorpe Road DN2 5LU 28.0
19931 Old Guildhall Doncaster DN1 1RH (1–5 metres from road) 28.0
19931 Old Guildhall Doncaster DN1 1RH (20–30 metres from road) 29.3
19931 Ambulance Station Armthorpe Road DN2 5LU 21.5
19931 East Lane House East Lane Stainforth Doncaster 18.8
1 All nitrogen dioxide data for 1993 are still provisional.

2. Sulphur dioxide (ppb)
Year Site1 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 Site 9
1985 29 33 23 30 32 30
1986 30 32 20 24 27 31
1987 16 26 16 20 24 26 30
1988 12 19 16 15 19 15 19 11
1989 11 18 17 18 19 17 19 13
1990 12 17 14 16 21 16 22 12
1991 17 18 14 16 21 17 23 11
1992 26 10 12 16 15 14 18 6
1993 13 13 17 17 6 20 9
Sites1
1. Welfare Block, Coalite, Works, Askern, nr Doncaster.
2. Mere Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster.
3. Church St. Armthorpe, Doncaster.
4. Woodlands Clinic, Central Avenue.
5. College of Further Education, Mexborough.
6. The Library Moorends.
7. Homscarr Middle School, Grange Lane, Rossington, Doncaster.
8. East Lane House, East Lane, Stainforth, Doncaster.
9. Ellison St. Thorne, Doncaster.

3. Black Smoke (ug/m3) (British Standard Unit)
Year Site1 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 Site 9
1985 42 43 30 31 29 60
1986 65 49 31 34 28 85
1987 68 48 30 41 35 81 98
1988 35 21 27 25 68 20 61 19
1989 18 19 24 21 56 16 43 23
1990 12 14 13 15 21 13 45 11
1991 17 19 17 21 18 18 48 12
1992 31 11 11 20 16 12 31 11
1993 13 13 21 21 15 25 11
1Sites
As in table 2.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he plans to take to reduce levels of PM10 in British cities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins

Measures to reduce emissions of particles from cars and light vans by 40 per cent. will be applied in 1996 under the consolidated cars directive 91/441/EEC. In addition a further stage of EC directive 91/542, covering emissions from heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, has been agreed for implementation in 1996, which will reduce particulate emissions from these sources by about 50 per cent.

Further action to reduce levels of fine particles will be considered in the light of advice from the Department of Health's independent Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and from the expert panel on air quality standards, which recommends air quality standards to the Secretary of State for the Environment and which is currently considering a standard for particles.