Research and analysis: COMEAP: mortality effects of long-term exposure to particulate air pollution in the UK

Updated: Added link to new COMEAP report on ‘Particulate air pollution: effects on mortality’.

COMEAP has published updated advice on this topic; see ‘Particulate air pollution: effects on mortality’.

This report deals with answering what, at first glance, appear to be relatively simple questions regarding the effects of particulate air pollution on mortality in the UK. We have tried to explain not only the approaches we have used to answer the questions, but also the limitations of the interpretations that can be put on the results. We anticipate that it will be useful to policy makers and elected representatives, and hope also that it will make a helpful contribution to public awareness and understanding of the health effects of air pollution.

In summary:

  • Airborne particles comprise an anthropogenic component and a natural component.

  • There is an interest in the effects of air pollution on mortality in terms of the impact that policies for reduction would have, or the current burden in terms of public health.

  • These effects can be expressed at the population level in terms of life expectancy, and on loss or gain in life years. The burden can also be expressed in terms of deaths occurring in a specified year across the population.

  • As everyone dies eventually no lives are ever saved by reducing environmental exposures – deaths are delayed resulting in increased life expectancy.

  • These measures are averages or aggregates across the population; it is not known how the effects are distributed among individuals.



Guidance: Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management: appraisal guidance

Updated: Added a note that although HM Treasury has updated the Green Book you should continue to use this current policy and guidance until we update them.

HM Treasury has updated the Green Book – its guidance on how to evaluate government policies, projects and programmes.

You can continue to use this flood and coastal erosion risk management appraisal guidance until we update it. You can also follow:

This guidance is for those who undertake and review flood and coastal erosion risk management appraisals. It will also interest those affected by flood or coastal erosion risk.



Statistical data set: Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June

Updated: Updated dataset: UK annual time series: 1984 to 2018.

These data series show land and crop areas, livestock populations and agricultural workforce estimates for England and the UK as at 1 June each year. The results come from the long-running June surveys of agriculture and horticulture that are carried out each year in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The information includes long-term trends or detailed results for different types of farm, farm size or geographical area. The series are updated as new results become available.

The sample size for the June survey changes each year depending on UK and EU requirements. In years such as 2010 and 2013 when the EU requires very detailed information on the structure of the UK agricultural industry the sample size is increased. This enables us to produce good quality estimates for detailed geographies in those years. In other years the sample size is smaller to reduce the burden on farmers and we do not produce detailed breakdowns in those years.

England

English geographical breakdowns

Geographical breakdowns are only available in the years that correspond to the EU Farm Structure Survey, next updates expected for 2020.

UK

Defra statistics: farming

You can also contact us via Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefraStats



Statistical data set: Statistics on TB in Non-Bovine Species

Updated: Updated dataset.

Statistics on incidents of TB in domesticated non-bovines and wild animals.



Guidance: Approved sheep and goat ear tag suppliers

Updated: Amended the entry for Nordic Star Ltd.

Approved suppliers of sheep and goat ear tags for sheep and goat keepers.