Assembly Member Leonie Cooper tells Education Secretary Justine Greening MP
Primary school children must be protected from the effects of air pollution, the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening has been told. London Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth, Leonie Cooper AM, has written to the Education Secretary, who is also MP for Putney, calling on her to support a diesel scrappage scheme. In her letter she highlighted the “severe” health impacts on children attending schools in highly polluted areas.
Ms Cooper, who also wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment last month calling for a diesel scrappage scheme, highlights work done by the Putney Society and others showing the poor quality of air in Putney. Many badly polluted areas are in the vicinity of a number of Primary Schools.
In her letter to the Education Secretary, Leonie Cooper, Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth, said:
“The figures presented by the Putney Society and others, are not good. The impact of air pollution, especially on primary school children, can be severe – their lungs are not fully developed and of course they are much shorter in height so more likely to be closer to the source of emissions.
“All schools nationally, as well as those in Putney and London, would benefit from the introduction of a scheme to start removing diesel vehicles from our roads.
Yours,
Leonie Cooper AM
Labour London Assembly Member for Merton and Wandsworth
LONDONASSEMBLYLABOUR
September 20, 2016