3. What discussions have taken place between the Cabinet Secretary and the UK Government regarding the effects of air pollution on public health? OAQ(5)0165(HWS)[W]

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs leads for the Welsh Government on air quality, and her officials continue to have significant engagement with their UK counterparts on matters such as UK-wide air quality modelling, EU legislation on trans-boundary air pollution, EU reporting, air quality research, and air pollution episodes.

Thank you for that response, Minister. I understand that the Cabinet Secretary leads on this, but this was a specific question on the impact on public health, because it’s been accepted that air pollution is the second greatest factor in terms of early deaths in Wales and has been described as a public health crisis in evidence to the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee by the head of Public Health Wales. So, specifically, what are you going to do to mitigate the impacts of air pollution on health and, specifically, are you going to commit today in the Chamber that the Government, in its clean air plans that were mentioned yesterday by the First Minister, will have a target to reduce air pollution in Wales and specific targets within the plans to demonstrate that we’re on the right track to reduce air pollution in Wales?

Well, I thank you very much for that question and would reiterate that the Welsh Government does recognise the seriousness of air pollution and the impact that it does have on public health, because we have recognised this through our public health outcomes framework indicators, in which we actually specifically include the average concentration of nitrogen dioxide at dwellings as one of those indicators.

We’ll be issuing guidance very shortly to support health and public health professionals in NHS Wales by providing key messages about the role that they can play in supporting local authorities on air quality and communicating the public health risks of poor air quality to the public and to other agencies as well. We will also be undertaking an awareness-raising campaign on air quality for health professionals and the general public.

Public Health Wales also is currently undertaking a research project to enhance the local air quality management regime in Wales to maximise the public health outcomes as well. So, we absolutely see air pollution within that important public health context.

With regard to the specific question on the clean air zone framework, of course this comes about as a result of the joint UK consultation on nitrogen dioxide. You are aware, of course, of our commitment to consult within the next 12 months on the details of the proposals for the clean air zone framework for Wales. This is something that the Cabinet Secretary will be developing. I wouldn’t want to pre-empt anything that the Cabinet Secretary decides to do in this regard.

I appreciate that it’s the primary responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for climate change and the environment, but I hope we can see a whole-system approach by the whole Government. I’m sure that the Cabinet Secretary for Education would also have some responsibility for ensuring that our children in school are not being subjected to unnecessary levels of nitrogen dioxide. Therefore, what would the advice be to schools from public health experts as to whether it’s safe on particular days for children to be playing outside?

I completely agree that schools do have a crucially important role to play in terms of managing pollution when children are being dropped off at school, because we know that the start and the end of the day are particular points at which children are exposed to high levels of air pollution. That’s partly because of the school run, and that brings into focus all the important work that we are doing on active travel as well. But schools also have an important role in terms of educating children and their families about the dangers of air pollution. Now, there are simple things that people can do in their individual lives to reduce air pollution as well. The Welsh Government has committed to issuing new air quality policy guidance to local authorities next month, and I can confirm that that guidance will recognise schools and active travel routes, amongst others, as sensitive receptor locations. Local authorities really do have to take a risk-based approach in terms of siting their monitors, and that should be based on the evidence that they have in terms of areas that are likely to be exposed, or areas where people are likely to be exposed to the highest levels of air pollution.