Warwick and Leamington MP urges Government to give more power to people to tackle poor air quality

A World Health Organisation report has placed Leamington among the 31 most polluted areas in the country, with hotspots often registering the worst air quality.

Mr Western suggested that the government provides councils with air quality monitors to be fitted to waste collection vehicles to provide an accurate representation of the scale of the issue.

In response, the Secretary of State did not commit to the proposal.

A similar scheme is being explored in the City of London.

Speaking about his intervention, Mr Western said: “Polluted air in Warwick and Leamington poses huge risk to our health.

"I’ve urged the Government to urgently act.

"One of the issues we have in tackling it is that we simply don’t have enough data to understand the scale of poor air quality on every street.

"My proposal will make residents aware of just how poor the air has become even on their doorsteps and force a shift in policy.

"I’ve worked hard to advocate for improvements to the air quality in our towns.

"For example, I hosted a summit last year to find solutions to the issue and have worked closely with the Clean Air for Leamington group and others.

"I will continue to push for reductions in air pollution, for the sake of our health.”

Leamington town councillor Susan Rasmussen, a founding member of the Clean Air for Leamington group, added: "We are delighted with Matt’s leadership on this vital matter of public health.

"We support any means of providing better data on air quality across our towns.

"Solutions to the problem of air pollution must be evidence-based and strategically coherent.”