Choked over air quality By Peter Carrol (The Glaswegian)
Green MSP Patrick Harvie has accused the Scottish Executive of failing to submit a detailed action plan to tackle the city's polluted streets. The Glasgow MSP is demanding to know why the executive "inflamed the problem" by "ignoring an international order" for an air quality action plan (AQAP).
Mr Harvie also tabled a parliamentary motion last Thurs-day, calling on the executive to explain why it failed to respond to the request from the European Commission.
New research found pollution in Glasgow had soared by seven micrograms per cubic metre of air to 34 micro-grams since January. Hope Street in the city centre was named most polluted street in the country.
Mr Harvie said: "Only recently it was revealed levels of dangerous air pollutants in Glasgow soared 25 per cent in the past year. "This worrying increase led medical professionals to express concern for the health of those living and working in the city.
"Why has the exec-utive ignored a demand from the European Commission to see evidence that plans are being put in place to tackle this? "
Perhaps the executive is worried the existing air safety plans devised by the city council will not stand up to international scrutiny. "The council has said it won't meet the executive's air quality targets this year and can only expect an 11 per cent reduction in poisonous emissions through interventional measures."
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said: "The European Commission is not asking about whether there is an AQAP for Glasgow. "It knows from correspondence sent by the UK Government that the overall UK AQAP required under EU air-quality legislation does include a plan for the city, the Glasgow City Council air quality action plan. "In line with European requirements, the UK submitted its second annual plan to the European Commission in January 2005 and it's false to say the executive is in breach of European obligations on air quality.
"The EU annual nitrogen dioxide limit value doesn't need to be met until December 31, 2010, so there's no risk of fines from the commission until after 2010, and only if the limit value is being exceeded then."