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675720

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many government press releases have been issued since May 2014 alerting the media to an air pollution episode.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL4796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2017 answer text <p>Defra routinely publishes on the UK-Air website Met Office air pollution forecasts and real-time monitoring data, which shows air pollution levels across the UK. Defra also issues daily tweets from the UK-Air Twitter account, which provides the latest information about current air pollution levels and health advice. These are followed by journalists who use this to inform their reporting, as well as health charities and campaign groups who regularly retweet information to vulnerable populations. Given that this system is in place, Defra does not routinely issue press releases during air pollution episodes, but has done so on three occasions.</p><p> </p><p>Since the beginning of May 2014 there have been 27 air pollution episodes. A total of 441 tweets have been issued from Defra’s UK-Air Twitter account on these occasions. Public Health England retweets these messages, as do their devolved counterparts in cases where episodes affect their territories.</p><p> </p><p>Defra also alerts its network of health charities on each occasion. These alerts provide full details of the nature of the air pollution episode, its anticipated duration and links to further information including specific health advice relevant to the episode.</p><p> </p><p>An air pollution episode is defined as a period during which the level of any measured pollutant monitored by the UK’s network of air pollution monitoring sites has recorded High or Very High against the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). Also, when ozone is measured to have breached the Information threshold of 180 microgrammes per cubic metre for one hour (as defined in air quality legislation) this is classified as an air pollution episode.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 31/01/2017 15:40:11 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

675719

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many national air pollution episodes there have been since May 2014; how many days in total those episodes covered; and what is their estimate of the health impacts in terms of deaths and hospital admissions as a result of those episodes.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL4795
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2017 answer text <p>An air pollution episode is defined as a period during which the level of any measured pollutant monitored by the UK’s network of air pollution monitoring sites has recorded High or Very High against the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI). Also, when Ozone is measured to have breached the Information threshold of 180 micrograms per cubic metre for 1 hour (as defined in Air Quality legislation) this is classified as an air pollution episode. Since the beginning of May 2014 there have been 27 air pollution episodes which have affected parts of the UK and have lasted for a combined total of 57 days.</p><p> </p><p>No two air pollution episodes are the same. They vary in duration, intensity, geographical spread and the nature of the pollutants involved. For these reasons it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the combined health impacts resulting from the 27 episodes in terms of deaths and hospital admissions.</p><p> </p><p>A 2016 study undertaken by Public Health England in collaboration with the Met Office, looked at two air pollution episodes (related to particulate matter, PM2.5) from 12 to 14 March and 28 March to 3 April 2014. The study found that over the 10-day duration of the two episodes, around 600 deaths were brought forward from short-term exposure to PM2.5 (3.9% of total mortality during these days). We would expect around 300 of these deaths to be brought forward had there been more typical springtime concentrations of PM2.5. The total burden of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular causes associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5 was estimated to be around 1500 across the UK (around 3.5% of total emergency respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions). Around 785 of these would be expected from more typical pollution levels at this time of year.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is firmly committed to improving the UK’s air quality and cutting harmful emissions. That is why we have committed more than £2 billion since 2011 to reduce transport emissions and the autumn statement provided a further £290 million to support greener transport. We will also be consulting on a new national plan for nitrogen dioxide by 24 April.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 02/02/2017 14:26:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

662051

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they issued to members of the public, during the air pollution episode of 29 November to 6 December, to avoid driving polluting vehicles and to use public transport, walk or cycle in the areas affected.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL4219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/01/2017 answer text <p>The Government takes its responsibility for informing members of the public about air pollution events very seriously. The Government-funded website, UK-AIR, makes available a five day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels across the United Kingdom, allowing members of the public to take action. This information is available on the Met Office website alongside the weather forecast. Members of the public or other organisations may also sign up to email bulletins via UK-AIR which provide timely information, including the air pollution forecast and latest monitoring information directly to subscribers when they need it.</p><p>Defra has developed a multi-agency response group to be convened in the event of any air pollution event. This group comprises representatives from Defra, the Department of Health, Public Health England, the Met Office and Devolved Administrations. This group decides on the severity of the event, appropriate escalation and communication to ensure that consistent, evidence based key messages reach the public quickly.</p><p>Between the 29 November and 6 December 2016 the group convened on three occasions at 10.15am each morning. As part of the agreed agenda a communications approach was discussed and agreed between all attendees. During the three events Defra issued proactive tweets on Twitter referring to the health advice, which was then re-tweeted by Public Health England. Defra took steps to inform the health charity network, which includes Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation who work directly with vulnerable groups.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL4218 HL4220 question first answered 03/01/2017 11:58:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

390109

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Licensing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for continuing to apply individual scrutiny to applications for permits for unconventional oil and gas exploration, in the light of the variation in the conditions of possible sites and the levels of public concern regarding unconventional oil and gas exploration projects.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1521
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2015 answer text <p>Operators proposing to explore for oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing or flaring will continue to require bespoke environmental permits from the Environment Agency, which will be subject to a detailed site specific risk assessment and public consultation, with extra consultation for sites of high public interest.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 24/07/2015 14:45:17 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

390107

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Licensing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what independent peer-reviewed scientific studies have been conducted on whether it is safe to carry out flow-testing, small-scale fracturing operations and acid washing 10 metres from any watercourse and 200 metres from the nearest residents.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1519
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2015 answer text <p>The Environment Agency has undertaken its own risk assessment and determined that the separation distances cited in the draft standard rules permits are safe for people and the environment. They have also consulted with both Natural England and Public Health England on the proposed rules, who are satisfied the distances are protective of human health and the environment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Flow testing and acid washing occur at considerable depth underground and are low risk conventional techniques, which have been used by the oil and gas industry for many years. Any proposal for hydraulic fracturing would require a bespoke environmental permit.</p><p> </p><p><br><br></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 29/07/2015 16:00:50 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

662052

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they took during the air pollution episode of 29 November to 6 December to ensure that all health care practitioners in the areas affected were aware of the public health impacts.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL4220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/01/2017 answer text <p>The Government takes its responsibility for informing members of the public about air pollution events very seriously. The Government-funded website, UK-AIR, makes available a five day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels across the United Kingdom, allowing members of the public to take action. This information is available on the Met Office website alongside the weather forecast. Members of the public or other organisations may also sign up to email bulletins via UK-AIR which provide timely information, including the air pollution forecast and latest monitoring information directly to subscribers when they need it.</p><p>Defra has developed a multi-agency response group to be convened in the event of any air pollution event. This group comprises representatives from Defra, the Department of Health, Public Health England, the Met Office and Devolved Administrations. This group decides on the severity of the event, appropriate escalation and communication to ensure that consistent, evidence based key messages reach the public quickly.</p><p>Between the 29 November and 6 December 2016 the group convened on three occasions at 10.15am each morning. As part of the agreed agenda a communications approach was discussed and agreed between all attendees. During the three events Defra issued proactive tweets on Twitter referring to the health advice, which was then re-tweeted by Public Health England. Defra took steps to inform the health charity network, which includes Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation who work directly with vulnerable groups.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL4218 HL4219 question first answered 03/01/2017 11:58:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

662050

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2016
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Air Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they took to warn the public, media and government departments during the air pollution episode of 29 November to 6 December.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL4218
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/01/2017 answer text <p>The Government takes its responsibility for informing members of the public about air pollution events very seriously. The Government-funded website, UK-AIR, makes available a five day forecast from the Met Office on predicted air pollution levels across the United Kingdom, allowing members of the public to take action. This information is available on the Met Office website alongside the weather forecast. Members of the public or other organisations may also sign up to email bulletins via UK-AIR which provide timely information, including the air pollution forecast and latest monitoring information directly to subscribers when they need it.</p><p>Defra has developed a multi-agency response group to be convened in the event of any air pollution event. This group comprises representatives from Defra, the Department of Health, Public Health England, the Met Office and Devolved Administrations. This group decides on the severity of the event, appropriate escalation and communication to ensure that consistent, evidence based key messages reach the public quickly.</p><p>Between the 29 November and 6 December 2016 the group convened on three occasions at 10.15am each morning. As part of the agreed agenda a communications approach was discussed and agreed between all attendees. During the three events Defra issued proactive tweets on Twitter referring to the health advice, which was then re-tweeted by Public Health England. Defra took steps to inform the health charity network, which includes Asthma UK and the British Heart Foundation who work directly with vulnerable groups.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL4219 HL4220 question first answered 03/01/2017 11:58:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

390108

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Licensing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the consultation on new standard rules relating to onshore oil and gas activities was held over the period of the General Election, in the light of the Consultation Principles, which state that consultations should not generally be launched during local or national election periods; whether they sought advice from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office prior to running the consultation, and if not, why not; and whether they now intend to rerun the consultation.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2015 answer text <p>The consultation for the proposed standard rules was released on 23 March 2015, before the start of the pre-election period which began on 30 March. As such, permission was not required from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office and the consultation continued as normal. The consultation ran for the full 12 week period, until 15 June, five weeks after the election was held.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency is considering all responses to the consultation and will publish a full response.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 24/07/2015 14:46:09 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

390106

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Licensing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent consultation on new standard rules for onshore oil and gas activities related to offering standardised permits to oil and gas companies, what assessment they have made of the safety of flaring which suggests that flow-testing, small-scale fracturing operations and acid washing should only take place 10 metres from any watercourse and 200 metres from the nearest residents.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1518
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2015 answer text <p>The proposed standard rules do not cover the flaring of gas. If an operator wants to flare waste gas they will need to apply to the Environment Agency for a bespoke environmental permit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The separation distances specified in the proposed standard rules relate to surface water, groundwater and European Designations. The Environment Agency considers that these distances provide effective protection.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 24/07/2015 14:47:53 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb