§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications of the EC directive on vapour recovery for the operation of rural petrol stations.
§ Mr. MacleanA draft EC directive is under consideration which would require the recovery of vapour from the storage and distribution of petrol in order to minimise emissions of volatile organic compounds. We welcome this in principle. However, our consultations with industry, including the operators of petrol stations, suggest that the costs of compliance with the proposed directive in its present form could represent an unreasonable burden on small stations in rural areas for very little environmental benefits. We are therefore seeking an exemption for such stations from the requirement to fit vapour recovery equipment.