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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of air pollution on (a) vulnerable groups and (b) children who (i) live, (ii) learn and (iii) play in affected areas.

The Government assesses economic impacts based on advice from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP), a committee to the Department of Health and Social Care. The latest advice from COMEAP (a report published in August 2018), does not attribute specific morbidity to schools or children, rather to the whole population, including all vulnerable groups.

However, we recently published updated air quality appraisal values. These damage costs incorporate the latest evidence from Public Health England to reflect the impacts of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide on asthma cases relating to children.

The Government has committed £3.5 billion overall to deliver actions across all sectors and achieve cleaner air for people of all ages, including all vulnerable groups; published our Clean Air Strategy in May 2018; and is also shortly bringing forward a new Environment Bill, which will include strong commitments to improve the air we all breathe.