HC Deb 27 November 1995 vol 267 cc473-4W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions air pollution levels have exceeded recommended official Government levels in each county and for Wales as a whole, in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [470]

Mr. Gwilym Jones

There are currently four European directives on air quality which set mandatory and non-mandatory limits for lead, sulphur dioxide and suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels in the air.

In the last three years the relevant thresholds were breached at Government monitoring sites in Wales as follows:

Number of Exceedences
Limit Site 1992 1993 1994
Taken on a daily basis:
Ozone information Aston Hill 3 days 1 day 1 day
threshold Cardiff 2 days 1 day
Taken on an annual basis:
Guide value for SO2 Cwmgwrach Exc.
Port Talbot Exc.
Glynneath Exc. Exc. Exc.
Taken on an annual basis:
Guide value for suspended particles Wrexham Exc.
Exc.= Exceeded the Guide values, based on the average daily readings taken over the year.

Further information is available in the environmental digest for Wales and the report "Air Pollution in the UK 1993–94", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

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