Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the World Health Organisation's report, Preventing Noncomunicable Diseases by Reducing Environmental Risk Factors, published on 12 September 2017, (a) in general and (b) on the adverse health effects and premature mortality risks associated with indoor air pollution; and if he will make a statement.

The World Health Organization's report, ‘Preventing Non-communicable Diseases by Reducing Environmental Risk Factors’, published on 12 September 2017, will be taken into consideration along with the rest of the relevant evidence base when developing cross-government policy.

The Department of has recently asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop guidance on indoor air pollution at home. The focus will be on interventions related to the structure of, ventilation of, and materials used in, new / existing or retrofitted homes as well as on people’s knowledge, attitude and behaviour in relation to indoor air pollution. The guideline is going to be published in spring 2019.

Public Health England has developed a programme in support of national and local government to reduce mortality in England attributable to air pollution. This will be achieved by helping raise awareness of the health effects of air pollution and by further developing the evidence on the health effects of air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and ozone. The focus is on promoting actions that can bring multiple health co-benefits.