Found: May 2023 References American Academy of Pediatrics, (2004) 'Ambient air pollution: health hazards

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussion she has had with the Office of Environmental Protection on (a) air quality and (b) its health impacts.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department has regular discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection, on a range of issues. We are taking wide-ranging actions on improving air quality as set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 to drive down air pollution and its health impacts.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of particulate matter emissions on (a) health and (b) life expectancy.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Short-term variation in exposure to particulate matter can cause respiratory and cardiovascular effects and cause mortality. Long-term exposure to particulate matter can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy. Effects also include adverse birth outcomes, cognitive decline and dementia.

It is predicted that between 2017 and 2035 in England, 1,327,424 new cases of disease will be attributable to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), equivalent to 2,248 new cases of disease per 100,000 people over the same time period.

It is estimated that long-term exposure to air pollution from PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide in the United Kingdom results in an annual effect equivalent to 29,000 to 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 and over.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of air pollution on children’s health.

Answered by Maggie Throup

In 2021, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published a review which acknowledged children's vulnerability to the health impacts of air pollution, assessed children's exposure in outdoor school environments and the relation to socio-economic inequalities and recommended mitigating actions. The UKHSA also reviewed the exposure to indoor solid fuel and respiratory health in children. While children exposed to indoor wood burning are not at an increased risk of asthma in developed countries, there is a slight increased risk of developing respiratory infections.

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is preparing a report which considers the evidence linking pre-term birth, low birth weight and stillbirth with maternal exposure to air pollution including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, during pregnancy. The Committee aims to publish this report in August 2022.

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 help protect the public's health from air pollution ahead of Clean Air Day 2022.

Answered by Maggie Throup

The Government is currently consulting on two long-term targets for fine particulate matter under the Environment Act 2021. In addition, the Chief Medical Officer for England’s 2022 annual report will focus on air pollution, evidence for potential solutions to reduce the public health impacts and will offer recommendations based on this evidence. The report is due to be published in the summer.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the Health Effects Institute’s study, Global Burden of Disease from Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS): A Global Approach, published on 15 December 2021.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the United Kingdom, as long-term exposure to air pollution can cause chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer, leading to reduced life expectancy. The study highlights the health burden associated with air pollution and we will assess its findings as evidence emerges.

The UK Health Security Agency leads a national programme to develop and share the evidence base on the health effects of air quality, to support the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in delivering its Clean Air Strategy to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution and the associated health burden.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of the World Health Organisation's latest air pollution guidelines and (b) the potential effect of the Government adopting those guidelines on (i) mortality rates in the UK and (ii) the annual cost to the NHS of treating people affected by air pollution.

Answered by Maggie Throup

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines provide clear evidence that air pollution damages health at lower concentrations than previously understood. The UK Health Security Agency has made no recent assessment of the potential effect of adopting the WHO’s guidelines.

However, in 2018, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants estimated in 2018 that the United Kingdom mortality burden of long-term exposure to the air pollution mixture was an annual effect equivalent to 28,000 to 36,000 deaths. The former Public Health England estimated the total cost to the National Health Service and social care from air pollution in England to be around £1.60 billion for fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. A one microgram per cubic metre reduction in fine particulate matter could prevent around 50,900 cases of coronary heart disease, 16,500 strokes, 9,300 cases of asthma and 4,200 lung cancers over 18 years. By improving air quality below the current standards, we could see additional health benefits in reducing cases of disease and lowering costs to the NHS.

Question

To ask the President of COP26, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other countries on the effects of air quality on health.

Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)

By tackling the causes of climate change, we can also reduce the impacts of poor air quality on premature deaths throughout the world. Through our COP26 campaigns, we are seeking closer integration with public health objectives to facilitate a global green, healthy and sustainable recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic.

Through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the COP26 Unit is engaging with countries on the COP26 Health Programme which supports increased ambition on climate change and health, including the relationship with air quality. The engagements also highlight the opportunity for the health sector to reduce carbon emissions in a way that also improves air quality. The government is also working with non-governmental organisations, including the World Health Organisation, to engage with health professionals internationally to advocate for stronger climate action, including addressing the health impacts from air quality.