Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of household air pollution on (a) health outcomes and (b) NHS capacity and resources.

The UK Health Security Agency published a study quantifying the health burden in the population of England from key respiratory illness or conditions associated with residential exposures to damp, mould, and formaldehyde. In 2019, the presence of damp, mould, or both was associated with approximately 5,000 cases of asthma, and approximately 8,500 lower respiratory infections among children and adults. Residential formaldehyde exposure was associated with approximately 4,000 cases of childhood asthma among children.

Exposure to indoor air pollutants can trigger or exacerbate asthma, other respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, and may even have carcinogenic effects. Damp and mould have been associated with respiratory health outcomes, such as exacerbation of asthma, respiratory infections, and allergies. The National Health Service has not made an assessment of the potential impact of household air pollution on NHS capacity and resources.