| Allan Wilson:
I join with
other members in congratulating Sylvia Jackson. I thank her for giving
me the opportunity to state the Executive's commitment to improving air
quality and access to environmental information. Those are important subjects
that have a wide resonance in Scottish communities.
Air quality
in Scotland is generally good and it continues to improve year on year.
In recent years, as new policy measures to reduce emissions from industry
and transport take effect, there have been significant reductions in the
levels of air pollution. The Executive intends to ensure that that positive
trend continues.
Evidence from
our health experts shows that we cannot afford to be complacent. I agree
with Robin Harper that the pollution inventory needs to include information
on health and other impacts. We recognise the detrimental effects on health
that air pollution can have, particularly for the more vulnerable members
of society. We take those concerns very seriously. Improving the quality
of the air that we breathe will have positive benefits for our health and
our quality of life.
Bruce Crawford:
I accept the sincerity of the minister's explanation.
Will he accept that the targets that have been set—particularly those that
were set for the 24-hour periods—are already being met in Edinburgh city
centre and have only been breached four times since 1998 in Glasgow? In
what way do the targets that the Executive has set lay down new, stretching
goals for local authorities to meet the requirement to improve Scotland's
air quality? The targets that have been set do not do that.
Allan Wilson:
That is the first reference to local authorities that I have heard tonight,
which is interesting, given their responsibility for improving air quality.
Bruce Crawford's
reference was mean-spirited and broke what was otherwise a consensual approach
to the issue. The original particle targets were not as tough as they might
have been. They were based on a different measurement technique from the
new targets, which are based on extensive research. The new targets are
at least as tough, in my opinion, as the old ones.
On air quality,
I am pleased that the motion recognises the Executive's proposals to set
an objective for particles that is more than 50 per cent lower than the
current objective. The Executive's recent consultation also proposed a
significant tightening of the objectives for benzene and carbon monoxide
in the air quality strategy. In addition, we propose to introduce a new
objective for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Those proposals,
to answer Bruce Crawford's point, reflect the generally high standard of
air quality that we enjoy and signal our intention to keep improving that
high standard.
A key aspect
of our air quality strategy is to give out clear and up-to-date information
on levels of air pollution. Daily summaries of air pollution have been
issued since 1990. That information is easily accessible to the public
via freephone, teletext, the internet and local media. The service also
tells people who are susceptible to the effects of air pollution, such
as those with asthma and other respiratory diseases, what they can do to
mitigate that air pollution. In addition, we publish in a free booklet
statistics on various forms of pollution and other environmental indicators.
That information is also available online.
From 2003, and
periodically thereafter, SEPA will report emissions of 50 key pollutants
from processes that are covered by the Pollution Prevention and Control
(Scotland) Regulations 2000. That will contribute to the European pollutant
emissions register that is to be established by the European Commission.
There is already
a substantial amount of information in the public domain on site-by-site
emissions from various industries and processes, for example, on the public
registers that SEPA maintains for its regulatory regimes. However, I understand
the expectation that the accessibility of that information should be improved,
as it can be accessed at present only by visiting the relevant SEPA office.
John Young, John Scott, Dr Sylvia Jackson and Robin Harper referred to
the importance of that information being accessible and easily understood.
There are various
options for improving access to environmental information, but most have
at their centre the provision of more information via computerised databases
and the internet. The motion highlights the importance of the Aarhus convention
in that respect. The UK is a signatory to that convention and the Executive
is committed to playing its part by implementing it in Scotland. Through
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, the Executive is proposing
to revise the current environmental information regulations to ensure that
they meet the requirements of the Aarhus convention.
Bruce Crawford:
Does that include article 5, which covers
information on pollution?
Allan Wilson:
I think that I am safe in saying no. The necessary
administrative tools are already at hand through the existing legislation.
We fully support
the need to progressively establish a coherent, nationwide system of pollution
inventories on a structured, computerised and publicly accessible database.
The detailed
requirements for PRTRs under Aarhus are still being negotiated in international
fora. The number of pollutants, reporting thresholds, industries to be
covered and exact time scales are not yet finalised. Negotiations are being
led for the UK by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
but the Executive is actively contributing to the UK negotiating line to
ensure that the proposals can be implemented in Scotland at reasonable
cost and risk.
That brings
me to the second part of the substance of the motion moved by my colleague
Sylvia Jackson. I reiterate that I support increasing the amount of online
information on emissions that is available to the public. Those are not
just warm words from me. We are actively considering the practicalities
of putting industrial pollution data online. SEPA has been in discussion
with the Environment Agency about using the next generation of its pollution
inventory software and tailoring it for Scotland. Until consideration of
that and of other options is further advanced, I cannot commit to specific
dates. I want to make it clear that the Executive is pursuing that option
and is discussing with SEPA what is required to get online emission information
systems up and running.
Dr Jackson:
I wish to emphasise and to get the minister's feedback on the point that
many people are saying that we ought to go beyond the 50 pollutants that
are covered in the EU directive. If we are to develop a system such as
that described by the minister with the Environment Agency in England and
Wales, it might be sensible to think of the bigger picture instead of having
to add things at a later date.
Allan Wilson:
I am happy to offer that assurance. Dr Jackson's
point makes sense. Indeed, I hope that everything that I would do in this
job would make that commonsense linkage. I understand that the English
and Welsh system covers 200 to 250 pollutants, and we want to replicate
that here, if not match the North American system, which covers many more—600
or thereabouts. I give the Parliament that assurance and hope to undertake
that work in the weeks and months ahead.
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