If the Isle of Man’s air is as fresh as Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot claimed, it should be used as a marketing tool.

That was the suggestion from one MLC, after Mr Boot rejected calls for more frequent monitoring of air quality.

In Tynwald last week he insisted the air quality in the Isle of Man was generally good, but other members insisted his department could do more.

Kerry Sharpe MLC said good quality fresh air was all the more reason to have regular monitoring and it could be used as a promotional tool.

’Many people in countries which sadly have high levels of air pollution are actually importing fresh air in cans from Canada and Switzerland,’ she said.

’I am not suggesting that the Isle of Man starts exporting fresh air but what I am saying is that the Department for Enterprise, for example, could use this information to further promote the Isle of Man.’

Snapshot

Earlier this year, Mr Boot came under fire for his decision to restrict air quality monitoring to a ’snapshot’ every two years.

He reiterated that commitment last week and pointed out that the last monitoring, in April, had shown levels of nitrogen dioxide in all locations tested were below the UK/EU target level.

While there was no ’significant improvement’ there were no signs of quality deteriorating.

’You normally regularly monitor something if there is a deteriorating situation or there is a situation that we want to address,’ he said.

That earned a quick retort from Bill Shimmins (Middle).

’If the Minister looks at the most recent results produced by his department he will see that in some urban areas of Douglas actually the air quality had deteriorated and was close to the EU limit,’ he said.

’He is the only environment minister in Europe who is not committing to regular air quality in urban areas.’

Mr Boot acknowledged there had been ’fluctuations’ but said there had been no deterioration ’in general terms’.