§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve public information on air quality. [16850]
§ Mr. MeacherThe new national Air Pollution Public Information System was launched on Wednesday 19 November.
The existing system has been revised and extended, by:
- adopting a system based on health effects with four pollutant bands;
- describing pollutant levels in the four bands as "low", "moderate", "high", or "very high";
- using the National Air Quality Strategy standards as the first breakpoint between the low and moderate band;
- assignment of the breakpoints between the moderate, high and very high bands according to advice from the Department of Health's Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants;
- providing hourly information and daily forecasts on sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, and extending the system to include hourly information and forecasts for carbon monoxide and airborne particles (as PM10); and
- providing hourly information on the carcinogens benzene and 1,3 butadiene, describing the levels as above or below the national standard (but not including them in the banding system).
When air pollution levels are presented to the public, an overall summary is provided followed by pollutant-specific information. When the overall summary is presented for each region, levels of air pollution will be described as those occurring in the highest band for any individual pollutant. For example, if levels of all pollutants in a region were low, with the exception of one pollutant which was high, then in the overall summary the air pollution for that region would be described as high.
299WThe bands were chosen on the basis of effects on health. The "low" band for each pollutant covers levels up to the air quality standard set in the National Air Quality Strategy. These standards are based on the best available consensual view of medical and scientific experts on the UK Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards.
The breakpoints between the "moderate", "high" and "very high" bands were recommended by the
Description "airpollution" "Standard" "Information" "Alert" "Low" "Moderate" "High" "Very high" Sulphur Dioxide (parts per billion, 15 minute averages) Less than 100 100–199 200–399 400 or more Ozone (parts per billion) Less than 50 ppb (8 hour running average) 50–89 (hourly average) 90–179 (hourly average) 180 or more(hourly average) Carbon Monoxide (parts per million, 8 hour running average) Less than 10 10–14 15–19 20 or more Nitrogen Dioxide (parts per billion, hourly average) Less than 150 150–299 300–399 400 or more Fine Particles (micrograms per cubic metre, 24 hour running average) Less than 50 50–74 75–99 100 or more Further details on the health effects have been placed in the Library.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the expenditure by his Department on the monitoring of air quality in the last year for which figures are available. [16994]
§ Angela EagleIn the financial year 1996–97, my Department spent £4.6 million on ambient air quality monitoring.