HC Deb 08 December 2003 vol 415 cc206-9W
Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days of(a) moderate, (b) high and (c) very high air pollution were recorded by each automatic monitoring station in London in each year since 1997. [140858]

Mr. Bradshaw

[holding answer 2 December 2003]The table shows the number of days on which levels of any one of a basket of five pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, fine particles and sulphur dioxide) were recorded as 'moderate', 'high' or 'very high' by each national automatic monitoring station in London between 1997 and 2002. These five pollutants are recognised as the most important for causing short term health effects.

Number of days moderate, high and very high for each national network monitoring site in London, 1997–2002
1997 1998
Moderate High Very High Moderate High Very High
Westminster
Southwark Roadside 3 0 0 0 0 0
Sutton Roadside 20 2 2 6 0 0
Tower Hamlets Roadside 2 0 0 0 0 0
West London 2 0 0 0 0 0

1999 2000
Moderate High Very High Moderate High Very High
Bromley Roadside
Camden Kerbside 21 0 0 9 0 0
Haringey Roadside 10 0 0 7 0 0
Hounslow Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
A3 Roadside 7 0 0 1 0 0
Bexley 50 1 0 24 1 0
Bloomsbury 21 0 0 4 0 0
Brent 43 2 0 37 0 0
Bridge Place 24 0 0 - - -
Bromley 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cromwell Road 0 0 0 1 0 0
Eltham 46 0 0 21 0 0
Hackney 24 0 0 10 0 0
Haringey 37 3 0 20 0 0
Hillingdon 33 1 0 5 0 0
Lewisham 5 0 0 0 0 0
Marylebone Road 50 7 10 83 6 0
N.Kensington 48 1 0 23 0 0
Southwark 29 0 0 12 0 0
Sutton 36 0 0 18 0 0
Teddington 47 4 0 37 0 0
Wandsworth 20 0 0 6 0 0
Westminster
Southwark Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sutton Roadside 0 0 0 1 0 0
Tower Hamlets Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
West London 0 0 0 0 0 0

2001 2002
Moderate High Very High Moderate High Very High
Bromley Roadside
Camden Kerbside 15 0 0 3 0 0
Haringey Roadside 8 1 0 10 0 0
Hounslow Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
A3 Roadside 12 2 0 1 0 0
Bexley 38 0 2 34 0 0
Bloomsbury 22 0 0 17 1 0
Brent 33 2 0 21 2 1
Bridge Place
Bromley 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cromwell Road 0 0 0 0 0 0
Eltham 33 1 1 23 1 0
Hackney 4 0 0 11 0 0
Haringey 27 1 0 13 0 0
Hillingdon 22 1 0 11 0 0
Lewisham 0 0 0 8 0 0
Marylebone Road 38 11 1 54 3 0
N.Kensington 39 1 0 16 0 0
Southwark 21 0 0 12 0 0
Sutton 25 1 0 3 0 0
Teddington 42 4 0 58 0 0
Wandsworth 23 0 0 9 0 0
Westminster 8 0 0 12 1 0
Southwark Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sutton Roadside 6 1 0 2 0 0
Tower Hamlets Roadside 0 0 0 0 0 0
West London 0 0 0 0 0 0

Notes:

'Moderate', 'High' and Very High' refers to the Air Pollution Service Information bandings (www.airquality.co.uk/archive/standards.php*).

Moderate—mild effects, unlikely to require action, may be noticed among sensitive individuals.

High—significant effects may be noticed by sensitive individuals and action to avoid or reduce these effects may be needed (e.g. reducing exposure by spending less time in polluted areas outdoors). Asthmatics will find that their 'reliever' inhaler is likely to reverse the effects on the lung.

Very High—the effects on sensitive individuals described for 'High' levels of pollution may worsen.

—monitoring site not operating