§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice he has issued to local authorities on the use of equipment to monitor compliance with national air quality objectives for particles. [80783]
§ Mr. MealePart IV of the Environment Act 1995 requires every local authority periodically to review air quality in its area. The Air Quality Regulations 1997 prescribe air quality objectives for seven pollutants, including particles (PM10), to be achieved by 2005. Local authorities have to consider the present quality of air and the likely future quality of air, and assess whether prescribed objectives are likely to be achieved by the end of 2005. To assist local authorities the Secretary of State has issued a series of guidance under section 88(1) of the Environment Act 1995. One of these guidance notes, "Monitoring for air quality reviews and assessments" LAQM.TG1(98), includes guidance on monitoring particles.
The Government recently published their proposals for review of the National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS), and, in particular, their proposals for revised and additional objectives for the pollutants. During the review process, as a result of the better understanding of the sources and types of particles in the UK provided by the work of the Airborne Particles Expert Group, it became apparent that the current PM10 objective would not be achievable in a number of local authority areas with any measures that are currently practicable. The Group's work also revealed 410W the importance of non-UK sources and the limit to which local authority action could control levels of PM10. The Government are therefore consulting on a proposal to replace the objective with the Stage 1 limit values in the EC Air Quality Daughter Directive, while retaining it as an indicative level. Discussions are also in progress with the UK's EC partners to explore ways of reducing the transboundary particle problem.
Should the Government decide to proceed with their proposal, such a change would have significant implications for the scale of work local authorities would need to undertake on the review and assessment of PM10 and the conclusions they reach. To help local authorities, and without prejudice to the outcome of the consultation process, my officials have written to local authorities with further information on how they might proceed with the review and assessment process ahead of a decision on the Strategy review.
Copies of the Secretary of State's guidance note and the further information provided by officials, both mentioned above, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.