The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG) is an official

All-Party Parliamentary Group An all-party parliamentary group (APPG) is a grouping in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that is composed of members of parliament from all political parties, but have no official status within Parliament. Description and functions All-party ...

of the

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, co-chaired by

Barry Sheerman Barry John Sheerman (born 17 August 1940) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Huddersfield, previously Huddersfield East, since 1979. He is also Labour's longest continuously servi ...

MP and

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

. The group exists to tackle carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the UK, improve government policy around CO safety, and raise public awareness of the threat posed by toxic CO gas. Alongside the co-chairs, the APPCOG has 8 Parliamentary officers from across the

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, Scottish National, and

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parties. Its official entry on the Houses of Parliament register can be found on th
APPG Register
Its secretariat services are provided by

Policy Connect Policy Connect is an independent, cross-party not-for-profit organization with two decades in policy work, overseeing the research and delivery of more than 50 key publications. The think tank has a history of running forums, commissions and All ...

, an independent not-for-profit

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based in London.

History

The APPCOG, originally named the All-Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group, was first established to promote awareness of CO poisoning and provide a forum for Parliamentarians, civil servants, industry representatives, charities and emergency services to share information and collaborate in order to improve gas safety. In July 2012, the group was renamed to the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group, which better reflected how CO can be produced by a variety of fuels, not just conventional gas.

Events, Research and Campaigning

The APPCOG holds regular events in Parliament, designed to bring together relevant stakeholders and discuss key issues within the field of carbon monoxide safety. The APPCOG also conducts research and produces evidence-based reports designed to advise government departments on policy making around CO safety, with a particular focus on the

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of Government of the United King ...

, the

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, and the

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Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

In October 2011, the APPCOG produced
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
', which compiled evidence collected across a six-month inquiry and set a national strategy to eradicate CO poisoning through preventative measures such as providing CO alarms.

Carbon Monoxide: From Awareness to Action

In April 2014, the APPCOG announced it was undertaking a follow-up to the 2011 Inquiry, including a focus on behavioural insights and

nudge theory Nudge theory is a concept in behavioral economics, decision making, behavioral policy, social psychology, consumer behavior, and related behavioral sciences that proposes adaptive designs of the decision environment (choice architecture) as wa ...

. In January 2015, the ensuing report
''Carbon Monoxide: From Awareness to Action''
- recommended a more targeted strategy for raising awareness of CO in order to reduce deaths and injuries.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Saving lives, advancing treatment

In October 2017, the APPCOG's medical subgroup COMed published
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Saving lives, advancing treatment
'. This report brought together a range of medical experts and made over twenty recommendations to improve the diagnosis and treatment of CO poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Tenants safe and secure in their homes

In November 2017, the APPCOG released
Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Tenants safe and secure in their homes
'. The report advocated that landlords should be required to install CO alarms in all properties with a fuel-burning appliance.

Parliamentary Members

External links

APPCOG official websitePolicy Connect official website

References

{{Reflist Air pollution in the United Kingdom Air pollution organizations

Carbon monoxide Natural gas industry in the United Kingdom Natural gas organizations Natural gas safety