Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 22 June 2016.
Following on from that question, obviously the air quality in Port Talbot, Cabinet Secretary, has been recognised to be one of the worst in Wales. In fact, a World Health Organization report recently published said that it was the worst in the UK for some particulates, and definitely one of the worst in the UK. I understand the issues we have. We have a heavy industrial area, we have a narrow coastal strip with the M4 driving through it, and they do impact on levels of pollution and particulates, but we need to do more to actually minimise any increase.
I understand the Welsh Government has actually commissioned work by the University of Birmingham and by King’s College London to look at the implications of air quality. Could you make a statement on the outcomes of that research and can you also ensure that the issues about the air quality in Port Talbot can be improved, because we are facing some of the challenges ahead of us?