Summary of complaint
We received complaints from people who felt Dr Rushanara Ali MP's claim that "4000 people a year die because of toxic air" was inaccurate.Ìý
Our response
During a discussion on Ultra Low Emission Zones in London Dr Rushanara Ali MP saidÌýthat "4,000 people a year die because of toxic air".
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This figure was derived from Imperial College research which was commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
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It states “In 2019, in Greater London, the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths (61,800 to 70,200 life years lost) were estimated to be attributable to human-made PM2.5 and NO2, 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.â€
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The claim, and how it had been calculated, was challenged by the other guest during the discussion, but we accept that we should have offered more context surrounding the figures quoted.ÌýThere was other context in the programme, and viewers were directed to articles on the ±«Óãtv website about various claims about ULEZ.Ìý
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A Tweet including a clip of Dr Ali MP, however, did not provide any useful context for the claim and so was inaccurate and misleading. It has been deleted.
We have also posted a clarification about this issue on the ±«Óãtv Corrections and Clarifications website:
/helpandfeedback/corrections_clarifications