SIR – Your editorial and interviewees in your front page report (September 20) on the air quality survey miss the essential issue in the frantic rush to cut expenditure.
You cannot just jettison air quality standards because nothing is being done about identified pollution hazards.
In recent years, incidents of adult and childhood asthma have increased – 4.3 million adults and 1.1 million children have asthma, costing the NHS about £1 billion a year to treat.
It is appalling that safety standards are being thrown on the coalition bonfire to pay for bankers’ bailouts and nuclear weapons.
We have seen speed cameras being scrapped in parts of the country and now poor air quality is to be left unattended.
It seems that politicians of all parties are infected with the cuts bug judging by the comments of Marc Bayliss (Lab) and Francis Lankester (Con).
Perhaps when he “alerts the Department for Communities and Local Government” Robin Walker MP could give Eric Pickles a copy of the briefing on asthma.
Peter Nielsen, Worcester
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here