More than 3000 will die from summer smog - Huhne

8.04.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 10th Jul 2006

Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP

More than 3,000 people will die prematurely from respiratory and other problems this year due to the severity of summer smog.

The impact of the hazy summer smog comes despite the 50th anniversary this week of the passing of the original Clean Air Act.

Following Government health warnings about the effects of the current prolonged heatwave, the Liberal Democrats have released research showing that 'invisible' smog from low-level ozone and other pollutants is still a major problem and has resulted in many thousands of people dying prematurely.

Results show that ground-level ozone, a major air pollutant, is exceeding dangerous levels and that:

Almost 24,000 premature deaths have been caused from the pollutant since 1997.

Average ozone levels have risen from 49 micrograms per cubic metre in 1997 to 59 in 2005.

Levels of ozone are higher in rural than urban areas - 23% greater in 2005 (70 compared with 57 micrograms per cubic metre).

If current trends for rises in ozone levels continue, the number of additional premature deaths could continue to rise each year from the killer air pollutant.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, said:

"Summer smogs are as deadly as the peasouper winter smogs of the fifties. This is a major public health issue that the Government should address with the same urgency as violent crime.

"The Government has failed to get a grip on the problem of 'invisible smog' from low level ozone which, produced by the effect of sunlight on vehicle fumes, is a direct consequence of Labour's failure to tackle road traffic use.

"Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Clean Air Act becoming law which was so effective at tackling the great smogs of the past. However, one problem has been replaced with another invisible danger, in the form of ozone.

"Fifty years on from the original act it is time for a new Act of Parliament to tackle these new and current dangers, particularly as the problem will only get worse with predicted rises in road traffic and the impact of rising summer temperatures that may result form climate change."