Chamber and committees

I want to ask very briefly about air monitoring in schools. In its submission to the committee’s inquiry, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh said that it thinks there should be air monitors at schools throughout Scotland. If I am correct, Shauna Clarke said that the City of Edinburgh Council has monitored air pollution and knows the information for its city. Dom and Kenny, what are your views on that? Do you think that it is a proper use of resources? Would it be helpful, or do you already have enough information about schools so as not to require such a major initiative?

Okay. I am conscious that other members have questions, so I will pass back to you, convener.

I will move to Stuart Hay. Stuart, where is Scotland’s current performance in meeting international air quality limit values? What pollutants do you consider to be the most challenging?

I will come to Paul White. The lockdowns had a major effect on transport, and bus passenger levels have not yet gone up to pre-Covid levels. How has that affected trends in air pollution over the past few years? Obviously, there has been a shift to electric vehicles as well. What is that doing to improve air quality?

Shauna, is there anything that you want to say in addition to what you said previously?

I will move to Craig McLaren. We went through a period of Covid-19 lockdowns that changed behaviours, and we have an energy cost crisis. You might have a view on places, people and streets but, more widely, how has that affected trends in air pollution more recently?

I have a quick supplementary question for Paul White. Dr Fuller said that LEZs should be designed with reference to buses that will use the area. Do you believe that Scotland’s LEZs have been designed adequately to accommodate the buses that will use them?

That was a very helpful introduction, and I saw Gavin Thomson nodding at a great deal of it. Gavin, you do not need to repeat what you agree with, but is there anything that you want to add to give us your perspective and context?

I have one final question, which is again to Dr Fuller. Are you aware of anything in the energy price crisis that may have impacted on air quality or anything else on that agenda?

How closely does your organisation monitor emission changes as a result of the shift from older vehicles to more modern ones with reduced carbon emissions?