Assembly supports ‘Ella’s Law’

A new private member’s bill, the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill, has been introduced in the House of Lords and is due for debate in the House of Commons.

Today the Assembly agreed a motion committing to support Ella’s Law to establish the right to clean air for Londoners and urged MPs and Lords at Westminster to support the bill.

Zack Polanski AM, who proposed the motion said:

"Since the Great Smog in 1952 we have learned a lot about the impact of air pollution, and how even invisible particles harm us.  

"We owe it to the many lives lost throughout the years to support the Clean Air Bill designed to tackle dangerous and toxic pollution in our air and we owe it to Londoners and campaigners who work tirelessly to make change happen. 

"Crucially, we owe it to Ella and all the other children growing up with health issues and stunted lungs, to show that we are serious about keeping them safe.”

Leonie Cooper AM, who seconded the motion said:

“Seventy years ago, thick, toxic smog covered London killing thousands of Londoners. Action was taken protect people from poisonous air.

“Today, we face a similar situation. London is covered in polluted air, four thousand Londoners are dying prematurely because of it – but this time, we can’t see it.

“Disproportionately, those dying are from Outer London, and are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

“Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah tragically died after breathing outer London’s toxic air. We must urgently introduce the law which carries her name. Ella’s Law will establish clean air as a right for Londoners.”

The full text of the motion is:

This Assembly notes that it is now seventy years since the Great Smog affected London in December 1952.

This Assembly notes that the then London County Council (LCC) recorded unprecedented concentrations of smoke between the 5^th and 8^th of December that year, and further that the LCC produced a report by January of 1953 detailing the tragic impact of this peak in air pollution which it was already realised had killed thousands of Londoners.

This Assembly notes that despite that report, the Government initially doubted the need for further action. Over time estimates of thousands of deaths of Londoners prompted the development of a private members bill that led to the first Clean Air Act of 1956.

This Assembly notes that now, seventy years later, a new private members bill, the Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill has been introduced in the House of Lords and is due for debate in the House of Commons.

This Assembly notes that this bill is also being called Ella’s Law in memory of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who had air pollution acknowledged as the cause of her death after a long and successful campaign by her mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah.

This Assembly commits to supporting Ella’s Law to establish the right to clean air for Londoners and therefore urges MPs and Lords at Westminster to support this bill.

This Assembly also calls on the Mayor of London to do more to improve air quality across London, starting by:

• Urgently addressing his 2016 tree planting target and setting out realistic metrics to achieve this; and
• Reviewing the zero emission bus fleet target with the view of making it more ambitious in light of the recent funding deal from the Government.