Search Results

1-4 of 4 results for subject:"Airborne Particles Expert Group"

Show detailed: On Off

Results: 10 20 50 100

Sort by: Newest first Oldest first

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what advice he has issued to local authorities on the use of equipment to monitor compliance with national air quality objectives for particles. - Including ref to Air Quality Regulations 1997 and Environment Act 1995 and fact...

Asked by

Helen Clark (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

13 April 1999

For answer on

19 April 1999

Answered on

19 April 1999

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice he has issued to local authorities on the use of equipment to monitor compliance with national air quality objectives for particles. [80783] Mr. Meale: Part IV of the Environment Act requires every local authority periodically to review air quality in its area. The Air Quality Regulations 1997 prescribe air quality objectives for seven pollutants, including particles (PM10), to be achieved by 2005. Local authorities have to consider the present quality of air and the likely future quality of air, and assess whether prescribed objectives are likely to be achieved by the end of 2005. To assist local authorities the Secretary of State has issued a series of guidance under section 88(1) of the Environment Act 1995. One of these guidance notes, "Monitoring for air quality reviews and assessments" LAQM.TG1(98), includes guidance on monitoring particles. The Government recently published their proposals for review of the National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS), and, in particular, their proposals for revised and additional objectives for the pollutants. During the review process, as a result of the better understanding of the sources and types of particles in the UK provided by the work of the Airborne Particles Expert Group, it became apparent that the current PM10 objective would not be achievable in a number of local authority areas with any measures that are currently practicable. The Group's work also revealed the importance of non-UK sources and the limit to which local authority action could control levels of PM10. The Government are therefore consulting on a proposal to replace the objective with the Stage 1 limit values in the EC Air Quality Daughter Directive, while retaining it as an indicative level. Discussions are also in progress with the UK's EC partners to explore ways of reducing the transboundary particle problem. Should the Government decide to proceed with their proposal, such a change would have significant implications for the scale of work local authorities would need to undertake on the review and assessment of PM10 and the conclusions they reach. To help local authorities, and without prejudice to the outcome of the consultation process, my officials have written to local authorities with further information on how they might proceed with the review and assessment process ahead of a decision on the Strategy review. Copies of the Secretary of State's guidance note and the further information provided by officials, both mentioned above, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Date

19 April 1999

Reference

329 c409-10W; 80783

House

House of Commons

Whitty, Lord

Statement on whether they will announce the outcome of the Review of the UK National Air Quality Strategy. [HL 484]. - Includes ref to consultation document in Library.

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

14 January 1999

Reference

HL 484; 596 c80-1WA

House

House of Lords

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Statement on the outcome of the Review of the UK National Air Quality Strategy. - Inc ref to consultation document in Library as DEP 99/141.

Asked by

Anne Campbell (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

11 January 1999

For answer on

13 January 1999

Answered on

13 January 1999

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the outcome of the Review of the UK National Air Quality Strategy. [65561] Mr. Prescott: I am pleased to announce today our proposals to amend the UK National Air Quality Strategy. Cleaning up the air that we breathe and delivering on the right to clean air is one of the top priorities of this Government. There is still some way to go to protect our health and the environment from the effects of air pollution. The proposals that I am announcing today deliver on our pre-election commitment to the right to clean air. But improving air quality is not just for Government, or industry, we all have a responsibility to do our bit to improve the quality of our air. The National Air Quality Strategy was first published in March 1997 fulfilling the requirement under the Environment Act 1995 for a national air quality strategy setting out policies for the management of ambient air quality. The Government endorsed this Strategy in July 1997, but announced that it would be reviewed at the earliest opportunity in order to look at the prospects for delivering cleaner air more quickly. The Government accordingly brought forward to the end of 1998 the previously announced review, and as a result we have been able to make rapid progress on delivering our commitment to the right to clean air. The Strategy sets health-based objectives for 2005 for the eight air pollutants which have the greatest impact on health. Our aim in the review was to look at the prospects for meeting the objectives sooner or introducing tougher objectives where feasible and justified. This has been a thorough and wide-ranging review, during which we considered the legal framework, the scientific, economic and technical basis for decision-making on air quality policy, and the case for changes to the scope and content of the Strategy. My Department has worked closely with the Scottish Office, Welsh Office and Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and we have consulted widely with stakeholders in producing our proposals. We have now completed the review and propose to tighten the objectives for five pollutants; for benzene, 1,3-butadiene and carbon monoxide we propose to bring forward the date for achieving the objectives; for lead we propose to bring forward the date for achieving the existing objective and to introduce a new tougher objective based on the most recent health advice; for nitrogen dioxide we propose to introduce a tougher hourly objective, while retaining the current annual objective. Action is in progress at EU level on ozone and we have concluded that it makes sense to await the outcome of that before deciding how to move forward on this pollutant. On particles (PM{10}) the work of the Airborne Particles Expert Group has shown that exceedences of our national objective are strongly influenced by sources from mainland Europe. This is not a problem that the UK can solve alone. We intend to discuss with our European partners how best this issue can be taken forward at the European level. In addition, it is not yet clear whether PM{10} or a smaller fraction of particles poses the greater threat to health. We have concluded that in the short term to incorporate the proposed EU vales for PM{10} will provide adequate protection as an interim step towards achieving the existing objective. We will look at this objective again, as well as those for nitrogen dioxide, when we undertake a further review of the Strategy in two years time. On sulphur dioxide, we propose to retain the existing objective, supplemented by the proposed EU limit values. We are also proposing to extend the Strategy to include objectives for the protection of vegetation and ecosystems. The changes we propose will also ensure that we deliver the limit values contained in the proposed first Air Quality Daughter Directive. We will now consult widely on our proposals. We will produce a revised Strategy later this year, which will itself be subject to consultation before being finalised by the end of the year. This is the first in a rolling programme of reviews of the Strategy, to keep it up to date with technological and scientific advances, improved modelling techniques, an increasingly better understanding of the economic and social issues involved and to reflect developments in European legislation. We intend that the next review of the Strategy should start once this one is complete and further information is available on costs and benefits, the health effects of air pollution and the impact that policy measures will have on improving air quality. We all have a responsibility to do our bit to improve the quality of the air that we breathe and the environment that we live in. The proposals that we have announced today set in place the framework to take this forward. I have placed copies of our consultation document in the Libraries of the House and the Vote Office.

Date

13 January 1999

Reference

65561; 323 c214-5W

House

House of Commons

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what account he will take of the findings of the Atmospheric Particles Expert Group on the extent of pollution from coal-fired and oil-fired power stations in his review of the National Air Quality Strategy.

Asked by

Stephen Pound (Labour)

Answering body

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 June 1998

Reference

313 c417W; 44639

House

House of Commons

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher