Britain's toxic air 'could cause dementia and diabetes'

The Commons health committee warned toxic air could contribute towards dementia and even diabetes
PA
Safeeyah Kazi9 October 2017

MPs today warned that Britain’s toxic air could lead to dementia and diabetes.

The alarm was raised over these potential health risks as four Commons committees re-launched a “super inquiry” into improving air quality across London and UK.

Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, chair of the health committee, said: “There is an increasing amount of evidence showing the impact of nitrogen dioxide and invisible particulates on human health.

“Many people are aware of their impact on our lungs and hearts, but new evidence suggests that they could also contribute to diseases as disparate as dementia and diabetes.”

After the Government’s plans to cut nitrogen dioxide air pollution were deemed inadequate by the High Court, an inquiry was launched by four Commons committees in March into toxic air - but this was postponed by the general election.

Relaunching it today, Lilian Greenwood MP, chair of the transport select committee, said: “Real change is possible if Government leads from the front to co-ordinate an effective response to one of the biggest issues of our time.”

The “super inquiry” will explore whether the Government’s latest anti-pollution plans go far enough to deliver the maximum environmental and health benefits, as well as looking at how effectively departments work together across Whitehall to tackle the problem.

Neil Parish MP, chair of the environment food and rural affairs committee, expressed a “cause for concern” as London and other major cities are unable to meet legal pollution limits.

He added: “Our joint inquiry allows MPs to hold to account ministers from key departments on how effectively the Government is joining up work to clean up the UK’s air.”

The Government’s plan includes proposals for ‘clean air zones’ and an end to the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040.

Mary Creagh MP, chair of the environmental audit committee, said: “Ministers will now face unprecedented scrutiny in Parliament to ensure they are doing everything necessary to protect people from filthy air.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT