§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make it his policy to issue advice to local education authorities discouraging against the use of global warming refrigerants, including HFCs, on their estates. [112566]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department gives advice to local education authorities and schools in Building Bulletin 83, "Schools Environmental Assessment Method (SEAM)". This recommends specifying refrigerants which do not cause both ozone depletion and global warming.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions steers policy on issues concerning ozone depleting chemicals and greenhouse gases, and the European Union has issued regulations to phase out the use of certain of these, such as CFCs and HCFCs. HFCs are often used as refrigerants in place of CFCs and HCFCs, and I understand that there are not any plans to prohibit their use at present.