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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
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 - 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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2023 to Question 183301 on Air Pollution: Death, if he will provide (a) a worked calculation and (b) weblinks to references to show how the number of deaths attributable to nitrogen dioxide in 2019 was calculated.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The most recent estimates, in 2019, of mortality burden associated with air pollution are published in the UK Health Security Agency Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report (2022), which is available at the following link:
The methodology used to calculate burden estimates, including nitrogen dioxide, is described in the article ‘Updated mortality burden estimates attributable to air pollution’ in the report and is based on the method described by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. ‘Associations of long-term average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide with mortality’ (2018) report is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nitrogen-dioxide-effects-on-mortality
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 20 of the UK Health Security Agency report entitled Chemical hazards and poisons report, Issue 28, published in June 2022, how many attributable deaths there were in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (j) England for nitrogen dioxide NO2 in 2019.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The numbers of attributable deaths due to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for the listed areas have not been calculated. The most recent estimates of mortality burden associated with exposure to air pollution in the United Kingdom take into account exposure to the air pollution mixture of NO2 and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and are published in the UK Health Security Agency Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report (2022), which is available at the following link:
The burden of long-term exposure to air pollution in 2019 in the UK was estimated to be an effect equivalent to 29,000 to 43,000 deaths for adults aged 30 years old and over.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 20 of the UK Health Security Agency report entitled Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Issue 28, published in June 2022, how many attributable deaths there were in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (j) England for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in 2019.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The information is not held in the format requested. The following table shows the fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution, measured as fine particulate matter, PM2.5, for 2019, in each region as a percentage.
Region | 2019 |
East Midlands | 7.4 |
East of England | 7.6 |
Greater London | 8.8 |
North East | 4.9 |
North West | 6.2 |
South East | 7.2 |
South West | 5.9 |
West Midlands | 7.3 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 6.6 |
England | 7.1 |
The numbers of attributable deaths have not been calculated; the provided values represent the percentage of annual deaths from all causes in those aged 30 and older.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
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 with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of air quality on the health and wellbeing of people under the age of 18.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the United Kingdom. Children are more vulnerable to the effects from air pollution exposure than adults due to their incomplete lung development, high physical activity and breathing rates, as well as lower height which increases exposure to traffic pollution.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has studied children’s exposure to air pollution in outdoor school environments in England. In 2017, around one third of schools in England, representing around 3.4 million pupils, were located in areas with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding the World Health Organization’s previous guideline of PM2.5 of 10 µg/m3.
Long-term exposure to air pollution can suppress lung function growth in children. Children can be at risk from respiratory problems such as wheezing, asthma and respiratory infections, and reduced cognitive performance.
UKHSA has a Clean Air Programme which aims to reduce people’s exposure to air pollution, particularly the most vulnerable groups, including children. A copy of UKHSA’s ‘Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report’ of June 2022 is available at the following link:
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
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.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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.