§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan of 24 October,Official Report, column 14, she will list the specific action Her Majesty's Government are taking in order to (a) prevent acid rain, (b) reduce the use of ozone layer depleting chemicals and (c) protect the North sea from further pollution.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government have initiated the second largest programme in Europe to combat the polluting emissions which contribute to acid rain. This includes a £1 billion programme over 10 years. In addition, substantial further expenditure will be needed to meet our obligations under the large combustion plants directive, which we agreed in June this year. This will lead to a progressive reduction in the emission of sulphur dioxide from such plants of 60 per cent. by 2003 and of NOX of 30 per cent. by 1998. The Government are also committed to a package of measures on vehicle exhaust emissions which will substantially reduce the emission of NOX from motor vehicles.
In June 1987, the Government signed the Montreal protocol which aims to control global emissions of ozone-depleting substances. The aim is to reduce the consumption of chlorofluorocarbon by at least 50 per cent. by 2000. We are pressing for these planned cuts to be accelerated, and extended to at least 85 per cent.
On the North sea, we are implementing the major package of measures agreed by the second international conference, which was held last November under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. These include a reduction in discharges of dangerous substances to rivers by 50 per cent. by 1995; an end to the dumping of hazardous industrial waste into the North sea by the end of 1989; and an end to marine incineration by the end of 1994.