§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has available for the quantity of methane loss into the atmosphere from the British gas industry.
§ Mr. BaldryData on United Kingdom methane emissions are published annually in the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics," copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. The la test estimates, for 1989 in Digest no. 13, show that gas leakage from the distribution system accounted for 340,000 tonnes of methane, and venting from oil and gas platforms together accounted for a further 175,000 tonnes of methane.