Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) short-term, and (2) long-term, risks of air pollution to children's health.

Exposure to air pollution has various health effects on children. Short term effects of air pollution include worsening of asthma symptoms, cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. Long-term exposure can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy. Children are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution than adults.

The effects of air pollution on children’s health are being studied in a number of research projects. For example, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has started reviewing the evidence on adverse birth outcomes from air pollution. In addition, the Exploration of Health and Lungs in the Environment (EXHALE) programme, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, focuses on air pollution and children’s lung health in London.