§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their reaction to reports that man-made chemicals have contributed to a depletion of the ozone layer which shields the earth from ultra violet rays which could destroy life and what action are they taking to implement the Montreal agreement to freeze world consumption of suspect chemicals and to halve the use of chlorofluorocarbons.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Belstead)The Government are following very closely the results of current investigations into the causes of the hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. While the latest evidence points strongly to the involvement of chlorofluorocarbons, the global implications are still unclear. I have asked my department's Stratospheric Ozone Review Group to provide an up-to-date scientific assessment next year. My department has held preliminary talks with representatives of industry on the extent to which implementation of the Montreal Protocol might be self-regulatory. In addition we will shortly be considering the necessary control measures with the European Commission and other European Community member states.