§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what emission factors are used in calculating the emissions of sulphur dioxide from oil refineries; and in which year these were last reviewed.
§ Mr. WaldegraveOil refinery fuel is a mixture of very low sulphur gas oil and high sulphur fuel oil. Emissions are therefore calculated on the basis of three quarters of total fuel consumption assuming a sulphur content as for fuel oil. Account is taken of the fact that the sulphur content varies from year to year.
The method of calculation is currently under review.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentages of sulphur dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom are calculated by his Department to have originated in oil refineries in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available; and what forecasts his Department has made of such emissions.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe percentage of United Kingdom sulphur dioxide emissions originating from oil refineries, were as follows:
502W
Per cent. 1964 3 1965 3 1966 4 1967 4 1968 4 1969 4 1970 4 1971 4 1972 5 1973 5 1974 6 1975 5 1976 6 1977 5 1978 6 1979 5 1980 6 1981 5 1982 5 1983 4 The figures for 1973–83 are published in my Department's "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics No. 7 1984". Earlier figures are available from Warren Spring laboratory, Department of Trade and Industry. Specific forecasts of emission levels are not available, but I am not aware of any reason to expect any significant increase in sulphur dioxide emissions from oil refineries over the next 10 to 15 years.