§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to increase the use of mobile units in measuring air quality. [20257]
§ Mr. ClappisonMy Department has no plans to increase the use of mobile units. Mobile laboratories are generally used to monitor air quality for relatively short periods of time in a number of locations. Hence, data from mobile laboratories do not fit well into the national monitoring programmes operated by the Department, which requires long term monitoring to check for compliance with air quality standards and guidelines and to evaluate trends over a number of years.
615WMobile laboratories are more appropriate for research, campaign or local investigation studies. For instance, in previous years, mobile laboratories were used by the Department to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of chemically active pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide and, to investigate the distribution of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in local city areas, to assist in the selection of suitable long term monitoring sites.