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 potential merits of reviewing the system for forecasting air pollution episodes.

As part of the Air Quality Information System review an evaluation of the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI), including the provision of the forecast, was carried out. This evaluation found that the forecast was accurate and provided precise representation of real-world air quality conditions at a UK regional level. Some areas for improvement were identified and Defra are discussing with the Met Office how to take these forward.