PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Childbirth (8 May 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many premature births there were in England during the pollution episode in April 2019; and what comparative assessment he has made of the figures for that period with the (a) expected average and (b) average over the last five years.

Asked by:
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)

According to the Daily Air Quality Index there were ‘moderate’ to ‘very high’ levels of air pollution in some areas of the United Kingdom between 7 and 8 April and between 15 to 25 April 2019. The figures for premature births in this period are not yet available to enable a comparative assessment.

In January 2019, the Government launched the Clean Air Strategy, which sets out plans for dealing with all sources of air pollution to save lives, protect nature and boost the economy.

Answered by:
Seema Kennedy (Conservative)
17 May 2019