Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 May 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 May 2024. It was answered by Maria Caulfield (Conservative) on Monday, 13 May 2024 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential (a) viability and (b) merits of creating a national indoor air quality observatory to monitor (i) levels and (ii) the potential health effects of indoor air pollution.

Answer: The Department continues to work collaboratively across the Government to address the impact of air pollution. We are taking significant and wide-ranging action to drive improvements to air quality, as set out in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Environmental Improvement Plan. The United Kingdom Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Cleaner Air Programme also aims to help reduce people’s exposure to air pollution, tackle disparities in exposure, and improve outcomes for all, including through increasing the evidence base and improving awareness and understanding of the health impacts of air pollution. The UKHSA has published a study quantifying the health burden in the population of England from key respiratory conditions associated with residential exposures to damp, mould, and formaldehyde.

Secondary information