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Written question asked by Ruth Jones (Labour) on Monday, 29 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 July 2026. It was answered by Sharon Hodgson (Labour) on Friday, 17 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Air Pollution: Health Education

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has made of the potential public health benefits of (a) introducing a national public awareness campaign on the health impacts of air pollution and (b) updating the thresholds used in the Daily Air Quality Index.

Answer

The Government is committed to making air quality information accessible and actionable. The Environmental Improvement Plan sets out how we are working to improve public understanding of air pollution and how people can reduce their exposure.

In 2025, the Air Quality Information System steering group published their report on how to improve air quality communications. As part of this work, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs commissioned the study Ricardo report: Evaluation of the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) to evaluate whether the DAQI services are achieving the intended objectives and to provide recommendations for improvements. The report is available at the following link:

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat05/2503060821_3_Daily_Air_Quality_Index_Evaluation_FINAL_REPORT.pdf

The current DAQI is based on a consideration of the evidence of health effects following short-term exposure to elevated air pollution and is aligned with most air quality indexes used in other countries

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13915
Session
2026-27
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Air pollution Health education
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk