Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the Met Office has a policy or is commissioned by his Department to issue and proactively send episode-specific air-quality warnings to news media, separately from supplying forecast data.

The Met Office produces the public air-quality forecast on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is available through GOV.UK and Met Office web and app products.

While air-quality warnings are not issued in the UK, the Met Office does provide an ad hoc Air Quality Notification/Alert service on behalf of Defra when pollution levels are expected to reach specified thresholds. Further information on how these alerts and notifications are used can be provided by Defra.