Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of air pollution on the (a) natural environment in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) economy in North Staffordshire.

Air pollution has a significant impact on our economy every year by reducing labour productivity and growth.

No specific assessment of air pollution and its impact on the natural environment in Newcastle-under-Lyme has been made recently nor the impact on the economy in North Staffordshire. However, a UK-wide risk assessment of the environmental impacts of the pollutants, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide is made annually.

The results are summarised in the Air Pollution Trends Report (see: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/2401111009_Air_Pollution_Trends_Report_2023.pdf).

Specific results for UK designated habitats are viewable on the Air Pollution Information System website (see: https://www.apis.ac.uk/app).