Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve indoor air quality in (a) low-income homes and (b) urban areas.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence originally worked with Public Health England in publishing guidance setting out actions that can be taken by different parties to improve air quality in the home. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng149

Guidance on understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould has been jointly published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the UK Health Security Agency. This guidance is aimed at all social and private rented housing landlords in England, tenants, owner occupiers and professionals, and we expect it to be of relevance to low-income homes. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers/understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-of-damp-and-mould-in-the-home--2

The Air Quality Strategy published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in April 2023 includes a section on indoor air quality for local authorities to consider in determining local action. In addition, the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 sets out the measures that government will take to improve air quality more generally, including actions focused on urban areas.