Campaign reply - Please would you consider supporting Ella's Law

Thank you for contacting me about air quality and Ella’s law.

 

Following the tragic death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, I know that Ministers have set out key actions to improve air quality in the short and long term, protect vulnerable groups and effectively communicate information to the public. I would like to assure you that the Government takes its air quality obligations extremely seriously and Ministers are taking significant action to deliver the commitments set out in its response to the Prevention of Future Deaths report.

 

In addition to the measures provided in the Environment Act 2021 and the Clean Air Strategy, I am aware that Defra has published Phase 1 of the National Bundle of Care for Children and Young People with Asthma. This sets out interventions to help children, young people, families and carers to control and reduce the risk of asthma attacks and to prevent avoidable harm. Defra has also established a steering group with the Department for Health and Social Care and UKHSA to undertake a comprehensive review of how air quality information is communicated to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have what they need protect themselves and understand their impact on air quality. 

 

Air pollution is the biggest single environmental threat to public health and Ministers are continuing to take robust action to improve air quality and minimise public health impacts. Air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010: emissions of nitrogen dioxide have fallen by 44 per cent, sulphur emissions have fallen by 70 per cent and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions have fallen by 18 per cent.

 

The Environment Act 2021 includes long-term environmental targets, including a maximum annual mean concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of 10 µg/m3 and achieving a 35 per cent reduction in population exposure to PM2.5 by 2040, compared to a base year of 2018. The Government has taken action to reduce emissions from domestic burning and introduced legislation in 2021 to phase out the sale of the most polluting solid fuels (wet wood, bituminous (house) coal and high sulphur manufactured solid fuels) used in domestic burning.

 

Further, the Government’s Clean Air Strategy aims to halve the harm to human health caused by air pollution by 2030, which will reduce the incidence of serious illness and improve the quality of life for tens of thousands of people. Ministers have provided £880 million to clean up transport and tackle NO2 pollution. New legislation will be introduced to give local authorities new powers to take action in areas with air pollution problems.  

 

Finally, I am assured that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and advisory bodies such as the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and the Air Quality Expert Group to keep abreast of research on the impact of air pollution on public health.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.