HC Deb 30 November 1988 vol 142 cc247-8W
Dr. Thomas

To ask the Prime Minister if, as part of her policy to develop a United Kingdom and European Community response to the greenhouse effect, she will seek to obtain, and set in train an expert evaluation of the Schmidbauer report on precautions for the protection of the earth's atmosphere released by the Bundestag in August.

The Prime Minister

All available relevant information will be taken into account in considering possible responses to the threat of global warming. The inter-governmental panel on climate change, under the auspices of UNEP and the WHO, has established three working groups to report on the science, effects and response to the greenhouse effect. The United Kingdom will be playing a major role in this key international forum, both leading the working group on scientific assessment and contributing to clarification of possible policy responses.

Dr. Thomas

To ask the Prime Minister if she will initiate an interdepartmental evaluation of the total annual replacement numbers of incandescent light bulbs currently used by each Government Department, Government agencies, quangos, local government departments and educational establishments in the United Kingdom, as part of her recent policy announcement to counter the greenhouse effect; and if she will further initiate a cost comparison between replacement with compact fluorescent energy efficient bulbs and those incandescent bulbs currently in use.

The Prime Minister

No. It is already Government policy to use the most cost effective and energy efficient form of lighting appropriate to the circumstances.

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