High levels of air pollution in parts of Scotland’s cities and urban areas are a real cause for concern, Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands Conservative MSP and Scottish Conservative Environment Spokesman, said today. Jamie was speaking in this afternoon’s Parliamentary debate on air quality.
Speaking in the debate, Jamie said:
“While we recognise that overall there have been significant reductions in air pollutants since the 1990 baselines, it is a matter of real concern to all of us in this chamber that unacceptably high levels of air pollution - especially from nitrogen dioxide, which causes increased ground-level ozone, and particulate matter - have been shown in 2013 in some of the busiest commuter and shopping streets in Scotland, such as Byres Road and Hope Street in Glasgow and Queensferry Road in Edinburgh. And, as has been pointed out, some of these high levels of air pollution break targets set in the 1990s which were to be met by 2005 according to the Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000.
“The potential impact on human health of poor air quality can be severe. It has been suggested that over 1500 deaths in Scotland each year have air pollution as a contributory factor, and this is a major concern.
“At high concentrations, nitrogen dioxide and particulates can cause inflammation of the airways and can affect lung capacity. Some studies suggest long term exposure to fine particulate matter may be associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitis. As a sufferer of respiratory problems myself, I am very conscious of the effect of poor air quality - put simply, for many Scots it can be much harder to breathe in congested city streets.
“The presence and concentration of pollutants in our air is obviously very affected by the prevailing climatic conditions, and I would commend the efforts of the Met Office in Scotland who are working with Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) and local doctors to support people self-managing some long-term conditions known to be impacted by weather conditions. Their Healthy Outlook service specifically helps those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
“As well as having an impact on those who suffer from respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD, recent research published in the British Medical Journal suggested that exposure to fine particles in the air increased the risk of heart attacks and unstable angina.
“My amendment today refers to the Scottish Government’s failures to meet overall emissions targets. Meeting these targets, tackling climate change, and improving air quality are all interconnected and are shared aims, and progress in each area will see corresponding progress elsewhere. It is also, of course, important that Scotland meets and is seen to meet air quality targets as we seek to persuade other nations of the need to take action in this regard.
“We urge Ministers to work closely with our local authorities and all other stakeholders to implement practical measures to tackle the most alarming occurrences of poor air quality in Scotland. We look forward to progress being made, and would again emphasise the need for policy coherence across all levels of government”.