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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what amount of (a) large particulates (PM10), (b) small particulates (PM2.5) and (c) nitrogen dioxide were emitted to air in the UK by (i) domestic biomass generation of heat and (ii) biomass for power generation in the latest year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the annual national inventory of the respective emissions these represent.

Dan Rogerson

The most recent year for which historic emission estimates are available from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory is 2012. This data was published in December 2013.

The emissions from domestic combustion and their share of national total emissions are estimated to have been: (a) for large particles (PM₁₀), 10.9 thousand tonnes and 9.6%; (b) for small particles (PM_2.5), 10.6 thousand tonnes and 13.7%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 0.96 thousand tonnes and 0.09%.

The emissions from power generation and their share of national total emissions are estimated to have been: (a) for large particles (PM₁₀), 0.65 thousand tonnes and 0.57%; (b) for small particles (PM_2.5), 0.55 thousand tonnes and 0.72%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 4.2 thousand tonnes and 0.4%.

Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have not been separately estimated from those of nitrogen oxides.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of (a) large particulates (PM10), (b) small particulates (PM2.5) and (c) nitrogen dioxide emitted to air in the UK by (i) domestic biomass generation of heat and (ii) biomass for power generation in each of the next five years; and what proportion of the annual national inventory of the respective emissions these represent.

Dan Rogerson

Projections of emissions have been made based on the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory released in December 2012 and the Department of Energy & Climate Change’s energy projections published in October 2013 for the year 2015.

The emissions from domestic combustion in 2015 and their share of national total emissions are estimated to be: (a) for large particles (PM₁₀), 10.1 thousand tonnes and 8.0%; (b) for small particles (PM_2.5), 7.2 thousand tonnes and 9.8%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 0.97 thousand tonnes and 0.087%.

The emissions from power generation in 2015 and their share of national total emissions are estimated to be: (a) for large particles (PM₁₀), 0.022 thousand tonnes and 0.017%; (b) for small particles (PM_2.5), 0.011 thousand tonnes and 0.015%; (c) for nitrogen oxides, 1.5 thousand tonnes and 0.13%.

Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have not been separately estimated from those of nitrogen oxides.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the social costs caused by (a) large particulates (PM10), (b) small particulates (PM2.5) and (c) nitrogen dioxide emitted to air in the UK by (i) domestic biomass generation of heat and (ii) biomass for power generation in the latest year for which figures are available.

Dan Rogerson

Defra has not made any direct assessment of such social costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Stringer on 2014-05-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the (a) level of world deforestation and (b) growth in world biomass power generation over the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson

Latest figures, supported by recent publications from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, are that 13 million hectares of the world’s forest were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year in the last decade (2000–10), including 6 million hectares of primary forests.

Defra does not hold information on the growth in world biomass power generation over the last ten years.