Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department is making on producing a public information campaign to educate the general public on the health impacts of air pollution, particularly in instances of moderate or high pollution episodes.

Public Health England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are exploring whether social marketing can assist in awareness-raising about air pollution.

The Joint Air Quality Unit (JAQU) is planning a national-level campaign to support Clean Air Zones (CAZ) from summer 2019. This will raise awareness of the risks presented by high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the implementation of charging CAZ. It will also promote long-term behaviour change by encouraging the public to change travel habits and reduce NO2 emissions.

The JAQU has also provided a CAZ communications toolkit to support local authorities in their local communications work. It contains key messages, frequently asked questions, useful statistics, infographics and other content to ensure a consistent approach is taken to raising awareness and to encourage drivers to consider alternative options in terms of travel and vehicle choice.

Defra is developing a communication strategy on domestic combustion for launch before the next winter burning season.