Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of air pollution on neighbourhoods with high levels of poverty.

Although air pollution can be harmful to everyone, some people are more affected because they live in a polluted area, are exposed to higher levels of air pollution in their day-to-day lives, or are more susceptible to health problems caused by air pollution, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and a shortened life expectancy.

There is clear evidence that people with a low income are affected by air pollution in a number of different ways. The disadvantages that come about as a result of poor income add up, with deprived populations who are more likely to be in poor health, and are at greater risk from air pollution and its adverse health impacts. These inequalities can affect people throughout their lives, from the prenatal stage through to old age, particularly as deprived communities often have limited opportunities to improve their environment. Further information on pollution is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1124738/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-air-pollution-dec-2022.pdf

A 2021 study by the UK Health Security Agency found that one-third of the schools in England were in areas exceeding World Health Organisation guidelines for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. Schools with higher annual mean PM2.5 concentrations are more likely to have a high deprived pupil intake and be in neighbourhoods with high levels of child income deprivation compounding existing socioeconomic disadvantages.