Complaint about issuing misleading damaging information regarding the need for ULEZ Proposal in Outer Boroughs
Request ID: FOI-1091-2223 Date published: 26 August 2022
You asked
The Complaint
Local,Councils have been advised, as have the Public of the following statement meant, to panic people into signing up for The Proposal To Extend The ULEZ to Greater London within the M25
The Statement
Around 4,000 premature deaths in 2019 were attributed to filthy air, with the greatest number in outer London.
Have your say.
Dear Sirs ,
The Department Of Transport have referred my Request to your good selves for answering as stated below
Under The Freedom Of Information Act 2000 I request that TFL let me have the breakdown of deaths Borough By Borough and for each Borough as a Percentage of Its Population . Also identify by illness the cause of Claimed deaths by Pollution and characterised by the following .Breathing illness descriptions .
A ) Emphysema Caused by Smoking
B) COPD an Age related condition
C) Chronic Asthma caused by Smoking in previous years
D) pneumonia an illness of Lung Infection rarely Pollution caused
.E) Asbestosis when using asbestos for many years previous .
F) Pulmonary embolism ie from DVT or similar
G ) any other underlying cause of death ie Covid .
The analysis requested should be readily available as TFL have quoted Numbers of around 4000 deaths already .
If the information is not available I shall advise the Commission of erroneous information fed to the public and is not substantiated by detail and has been used as false or propaganda information to encourage support of extending ULEZ at great cost and serious consequences to the boroughs particularly Havering .
Furthermore I shall ask for the Consultation to be sent out again with admitted errors of allegations for nonspecific boroughs regarding deaths .
Please confirm you are in receipt and acting upon the request . This will save me advising the FOI Commission of non- compliance .
We answered
Our ref: FOI-1091-2223/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2 August 2022 asking for information about ULEZ analysis.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require. The statistic relating to 4,000 deaths is taken from this report: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/london_health_burden_of_current_air_pollution_and_future_health_benefits_of_mayoral_air_quality_policies_january2020.pdf The report was commissioned by City Hall and undertaken by Imperial College. It is based on the report finding that ‘in 2019, in Greater London, the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths were estimated to be attributable to air pollution, considering that health effects exist even at very low levels. This calculation is for deaths from all causes including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths’. The report goes into detail as to how the statistic was calculated and provides a breakdown by borough in the summary tables. You may wish to speak with Imperial/other sources mentioned in the report for the detail you are looking for.
If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
