Boris Johnson: where's his air pollution study?

Published in Dave Hill Guardian Blog on Fri 25th Jun 2010

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee recently published its report on air quality in the UK, which included evidence that estimated that air pollution could be contributing to as many as 50,000 deaths in the UK per year. This is broadly in line with results of a study commissioned by the Mayor, which suggested that around 4,300 deaths per year in London are partly caused by long term exposure to PM 2.5 (which is widely acknowledged as being the pollutant which has the greatest effect on human health).

That's a lot of deaths. The Commons committee report is here. Being a Londoner I wouldn't mind reading that study the Mayor commissioned too, with its insight into the effects of PM 2.5, which is harmful airborne "particulate matter". But where is the study? The Lib Dems's Mike Tuffrey asked Boris about it at the May Mayor's Question Time (transcript pages 11 and 12):

Tuffrey: When are you going to publish your health study of the impact of air quality because it has been promised as shortly, but shortly is as long as a piece of string?

Boris: I am sorry, I do not know when the health study into the impacts of air quality...

Tuffrey: Of poor air quality, yes. Can you just give us a commitment to...?

Boris: If you apply to Isabel Dedring [Mayoral Advisor on the Environment] I am sure we will get you the study as soon as it is out.

Tuffrey: There has been a Freedom of Information request which has been refused on the ground that it is about to be published.

Boris: Well there you go.

Tuffrey: Exactly. When is it going to be published? If you do not know let us just take a commitment that you want it to be published rapidly and we will take that away.

That exchange took place on 19 May. More than a month later, Boris's study into the health impacts of PM2.5 - which he seemed to know almost nothing about - still hasn't entered the public domain. The public consultation period for his draft air quality strategy runs out on 23 July. It would be useful for those wishing to respond to it to see the study, with its finding that long-term PM 2.5 exposure contributes to the death 4,300 Londoners a year. So where is the ferkin thing?

The Freedom of Information request that Mike Tuffrey referred to had been made by Simon Birkitt of the Campaign for Clean Air in London. He sent in his request on 11 April. It was refused on 12 May on the grounds that:

The requested information forms part of a body of incomplete information which is scheduled for completion and publication in the next four weeks. The information itself is subject to some final revisions upon which early disclosure would render it both misleading and incomplete...

More than six weeks have now passed. Where is that study? Is everybody missing something? What on Earth is going on?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2010/jun/24/boris-johnson-london-air-pollution-study#start-of-comments