Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 potential (a) direct and (b) indirect impact of current levels of (i) ambient and (ii) indoor air pollution on the (A) current and (B) future health of children and young people.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ambient and indoor air pollution have long- and short-term health impacts on children and young people, for example respiratory effects including reduced lung function and exacerbation of asthma. The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has published advice on the susceptibility to air pollution, including for children.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that one third of schools in England in 2017 were in areas with fine particulate matter levels exceeding previous World Health Organization guidelines, particularly in income-deprived areas, exacerbating health inequalities.
A recent UKHSA review also found that 315,000 days of school absences in 2019 were attributed to illnesses related to fine particulate matter exposure.
The UKHSA is a key partner in a newly funded project focused on improving indoor air quality and its health implications, including among children in educational settings.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on air pollution impacting people's health in relation to (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air in England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency have published a range of information and evidence on health impacts of air pollution, to support action to reduce exposure to harmful emissions.
The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2022: Air Pollution sets out a detailed overview of this evidence of the impact on health of both indoor and ambient air quality. The report can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2022-air-pollution
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the types of health impacts of poor (a) ambient and (b) indoor air quality by (i) geography and (ii) socioeconomic groups.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ambient and indoor air pollution are harmful to health in the United Kingdom. Long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, mainly due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, dementia and lung cancer. Short-term exposure, over hours or days, to elevated levels of air pollution can also cause a range of health impacts, including effects on lung function, exacerbation of asthma, increases in respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, and mortality. Some groups may be more affected by air pollution exposure due to their location or socioeconomic background, but the types of health impacts from exposure to poor air quality in indoor and ambient settings remains similar. A combination of high ambient air pollution levels and substandard housing in income-deprived areas, pre-existing health issues, and lifestyle factors contribute to a disproportionate burden of air-pollution-related ill health among more deprived groups.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what Government guidance there is on technical standards to be applied in dwellings and other buildings to improve indoor air quality.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government sets standards for indoor air quality mainly through Parts F (Ventilation) and L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations which apply primarily to new buildings with detailed guidance provided in Approved Documents. Approved Document F sets minimum ventilation requirements to provide fresh air and reduce risks from pollutants, moisture, condensation and mould. These standards were strengthened in 2021 and took effect in June 2022.
Indoor air quality in existing properties is addressed separately, including through Awaab’s Law which requires social landlords to investigate and remedy damp and mould hazards within set timescales. Government policy is also informed by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) which provides independent advice on air quality and health.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
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 (a) the potential merits of a national public awareness campaign on the health impacts of air pollution and (b) the capacity of his Department to implement such a campaign.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Earlier this year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), supported by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), published a report and recommendations following a comprehensive Air Quality Information System review to explore ways of improving the provision of air quality information to the public.
The review made recommendations for the development of a communications strategy to raise public awareness of air pollution, including the actions that the Government and other public bodies are taking, and the actions that individuals can take to protect their health and reduce their personal contributions to poor air quality.
The Department for Health and Social Care is working closely with DEFRA and UKHSA to address the recommendations from the review to help make air quality part of everyday conversations.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of PM2.5 exposure on children’s health outcomes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Air pollution exposure can be harmful to everyone. Children are more vulnerable to the effects than adults due to their incomplete lung development, high physical activity and breathing rates, and lower height, which increases exposure to traffic pollution.
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) assessment of children’s exposure to air pollution in outdoor school environments identified that, in 2017, one third of schools in England were in areas with PM2.5, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) previous annual guideline of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3).
In 2021, WHO updated its guidelines for PM2.5 from 10 µg/m3 to an annual mean of five µg/m3.
The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants published advice on the susceptibility to air pollution in March 2025. They concluded that, based on the latest evidence, advice for children with asthma should continue to be included in the Daily Air Quality Index.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides The Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) which is available at the following link:
https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution/daqi?view=more-info
This informs on the levels of air pollution and provides recommended actions and health advice. The index is numbered 1-10 and divided into four bands, low (1) to very high (10), to provide detail about air pollution levels in a simple way, similar to the sun index or pollen index.
UKHSA contributed to the Royal College of Physician’s report on air pollution which explores the impacts of air pollution over the life course, including through childhood and adolescence. UKHSA has a Cleaner Air Programme which aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution, particularly the most vulnerable groups, including children.
The Programme is described in UKHSA’s ‘Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report’ of June 2022, available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chemical-hazards-and-poisons-report-issue-28
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28295 on Wood-burning Stoves: Health Hazards, what the (a) terms of reference and (b) timetable is of his Department’s review of options for reducing emissions from domestic burning.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to taking action to clean up our air and protecting the public from the harm of pollution. Domestic solid fuel burning accounted for 20% of PM2.5 emissions in 2023, with indoor wood burning accounting for 11% of total PM2.5. The Government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. Later in 2025 we will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, to protect and restore our natural environment. It will be a clearer, prioritised plan for achieving environmental outcomes, including improving air quality through action on PM2.5.
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect the health of (i) women and (ii) the public generally from chemical pollution and (b) promote (A) research, (B) regulation and (C) public awareness in this area.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We do this by monitoring, assessing chemical risk and banning or highly restricting certain chemicals. The UK Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) requires companies to identify and manage the risks presented by the chemicals they manufacture or market in GB. Action to assess and manage the risks posed by specific chemicals is also set out annually in the UK REACH Work Programme. Under UK REACH, there is a restriction mechanism to limit or ban chemical substances if they pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
We also restrict the most harmful chemicals through regulations that implement legally binding international conventions on chemicals and hazardous waste: Stockholm (Persistent Organic Pollutants), Basel (cross border hazardous wastes and disposal), Minamata (mercury) and Rotterdam (hazardous chemicals). These regimes have led to a reduction in chemical pollution. Monitoring demonstrates that emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants to air, land and water have fallen between 2001 and 2021.
We work across Government and with relevant agencies, such as the UK Health Security Agency and with the Health and Safety Executive to identify gaps in our evidence and commission new research, which is published in the interests of transparency. Through the Environment Agency, Defra has published research into key chemicals of concern, such as Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS), with a view to understanding the policy options to protect human health and the environment. The UKHSA provides public health advice to Local Authorities, Government Departments and Agencies where chemicals are found in the environment including drinking water, air and soil, to protect the health of the public including women. UKHSA also undertakes research in Environmental Exposures and Chemical Threats and Hazards in partnership with universities, including research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Units (HPRU) and, and publishes the Chemical hazards compendium which provides information on chemicals to the public.
This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires us to consider how the exercise of our functions may impact people with different protected characteristics, including sex.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance his Department provides to those participating in military exercises during episodes of high air pollution.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
As set out in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 375, Management of health and safety in Defence, military exercises must be risk assessed to identify and manage potential risks. The accountable person, who may be the commander or manager, must identify hazards and whether reasonable steps are being taken to prevent harm. This process is conducted prior to conducting military exercises and may be further refined during the exercise as part of a dynamic risk assessment.
In incidences where there is a risk of poor air quality, specific information on its prevention and mitigation are provided to all service personnel through Force Health Protection Instructions. In certain situations, deployment restrictions may be implemented for those deemed at greatest risk of poor air quality.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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
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.