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Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any such damage to poor air quality on an annual basis. To separate out the specific impact of poor air quality would be a complex piece of work for which we do not at present have a suitable methodology.

Cost benefit analysis is routinely undertaken to assess the potential impact on air quality of introducing or removing specific policies. However this approach produces only very broad estimates of future scenarios and does not generate any information on past trends nor on overall air quality.

Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any individual poor health effects to exposure to air pollution. Many different environmental and socio-economic factors interact to produce an overall effect on an individual’s health and to separate out the specific impact of poor air quality would be a complex piece of work for which we do not at present have a suitable methodology.

Exposure to air pollutants is a factor that may exacerbate the symptoms of anyone suffering from pre-existing lung disease such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or from heart disease. Extended exposure to poor air quality may worsen the course of these diseases in those who already have them, but is unlikely to have a significant impact on otherwise healthy individuals.

Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of poor health in individual children to the effects of exposure to air pollution. Many different environmental and socio-economic factors interact to produce an overall effect on children’s health and to separate out the specific impact of poor air quality would be a complex piece of work for which we do not at present have a suitable methodology.

Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of any poor health effects to exposure to air pollution in relation to socio-economic class. Many different factors interact to produce an overall effect on the health of any sub-group in the overall population and to separate out the specific impact of poor air quality would be a complex piece of work for which we do not at present have a suitable methodology.

Exposure to air pollutants is a factor that may exacerbate the symptoms of anyone suffering from pre-existing lung disease such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or from heart disease. Extended exposure to poor air quality may worsen the course of these diseases in those who already have them, but is unlikely to have a significant impact on otherwise healthy individuals.

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution, an expert committee that provides advice to the UK Government and devolved administrations on all matters concerning the effects of air pollutants on health, has developed a methodology to allow assessment of the theoretical impact of air pollution on mortality at a local authority level. It is anticipated that data resulting from this methodology will be available later in 2013, although the exercise will not provide any information of the actual impact by socio-economic class.

The information requested is as follows:

2007-2

2008-5

2009-1

2010-3

2011-5

2012-0

2013-3

14 air quality management areas have been in place for five or more years since the establishment of the local air quality management system.

The information requested is as follows:

2007-0

2008-0

2009-0

2010-0

2011-0

2012-1

2013-2

Data are not currently collected in ways that would allow the direct attribution of environmental damage in general to poor air quality. Such assessments are normally made only in relation to specific situations.

The following table shows the number of deaths in road traffic accidents reported to the police since 2007.

Fatal Road Casualties 2007-12:

The figures are available in table 2 of the Key Reported Road Casualtes Scotland 2012 bulletin which was published on 20 June 2012. The publication can be found at:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j276199-00.htm

Note that the figures for 2012 are provisional. Final figures for 2012 will be published in Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2012 in October 2013.

At the All-Energy conference in May 2013, I announced a loan to Gigha Green Power Ltd from the Renewable Energy Investment Fund.

Details of further investments by the fund are commercial in confidence and will be announced following financial closure and in accordance with the individual legal and commercial agreements.