§ Mr. LordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he is making to co-ordinate the European research into stratospheric ozone.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIn October 1987 at a meeting of Ministers from a number of EC and EFTA countries, we suggested that co-operation on stratospheric ozone should be dealt with on a Europewide basis. We are pleased that following discussion by representatives of various EC and EFTA countries and leading European stratospheric scientists over the past year, our proposal has led to the establishment of a European stratospheric ozone research co-ordinating centre.
The unit will be set up this spring in Cambridge and led by a British scientists Dr. Tony Cox of the UKAEA Harwell laboratory, Oxfordshire, who has an established international reputation in atmospheric chemistry. It will be located at the offices of the Natural Environment Research Council's British Antarctic survey and will operate in conjunction with a panel of European scientists to facilitate co-operation on stratospheric ozone research. The centre will be administered jointly by Cambridge university and the British Antarctic survey. We hope that a scientist from another European country will be attached to the centre to support Dr. Cox.