§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to commission research to update the findings of his Department's pollution paper No. 15 of 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MoynihanPollution paper 15, published in 1979, reviewed research on chlorofluorocarbons and their effect on stratospheric ozone.
The Department now supports a broadly based programme of research into stratospheric ozone; I refer the hon. Member to my replies of 2 November 1987, at column 437, and 17 March 1988, at column 645. In addition, the stratospheric ozone review group presented an assessment of our current understanding (which updates pollution paper 15) to the Department last August. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House. A follow-up report from it is due this autumn.