§ 19. Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent reports he has received about depletion of the ozone layer.
§ Mr. TrippierReports have been received from the European arctic stratospheric ozone experiment (EASOE) and from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. These show large quantities of ozone-depleting chemicals present in the stratosphere, and low concentrations of ozone have been observed over mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere and in the tropics. It is not yet possible to say unequivocally that chemical depletion of ozone is taking place.