London's children deserve real action on air quality - Mike Tuffrey

2.00.00pm GMT Wed 4th Feb 2009

Mike Tuffrey, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, speaking after today's Environment Committee heard expert witnesses highlight the immense harm that air pollution is having on the health of Londoners and especially children said:

"London's air quality is the worst in the UK and one of the worst of Europe's capital cities. London's air pollution is an invisible silent killer of more than 1,000 people each year - a figure five times higher than the number of Londoners killed through traffic accidents. Just because the pollution is rarely visible we cannot stand by and pretend the problem does not exist.

"Let's remember it took 20 years for politicians to act on the clear scientific evidence of the damage to children from lead in petrol. Politicians must not repeat the mistakes of the past. We must act boldly now on this deadly pollution. Even modest improvements in air quality would result in 40,000 fewer hospital admissions.

Setting out Liberal Democrat policies to improve London's air quality Mike Tuffrey said:

"I totally disagree with Boris Johnson's decision to scrap the implementation of the third phase of the Low Emission Zone. This is a foolish and harmful decision. His decision to not proceed with the third phase of the current emission zone will leave 107,000 people still at risk.

"However, in addition to implementing the third phase we need to go much further. There is now a very real need for an extra inner London Low Emission Zone, which would totally prohibit access to vehicles with high levels of hazardous emissions from roads in parts of inner London."