§ Tom BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were exposed to nitrogen dioxide in excess of European Union limits at(a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Stansted, (d) Manchester and (e) Luton airports, in each of the last five years.[121248]
§ Mr. BradshawWe do not collect data for the number of people exposed to nitrogen dioxide levels in excess of the EU limit value, which has to be achieved by 2010, at the above-mentioned or any other airports.
Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to review and assess the local air quality in their area against the air quality objectives for seven pollutants prescribed in regulations, including nitrogen dioxide for the purpose of local air quality management. The majority of local authorities have set up their own air quality monitoring sites and where they identify through modelling and monitoring that it is unlikely that the air quality objectives will be met by the relevant deadline, the local authority must designate an air quality management area and produce an action plan setting out the measures they intend to implement to work towards meeting the air quality objectives.
The boroughs of Hillingdon, Hounslow and Spelthorne have designated air quality management areas around Heathrow as they are predicting they will be unable to meet the air quality objective for nitrogen 919W dioxide in 2005 (this non-mandatory deadline is five years earlier than the deadline for the EU limit value). Reigate and Banstead Borough Council have also designated an air quality management area in respect of the 2005 nitrogen dioxide objective near to Gatwick. These authorities are required to draw up air quality action plans, in partnership with the airport operators and other interested parties setting out proposed measures to tackle the problem.
Stanstead, Luton and Manchester airports are not the subject of any air quality management aeras.