§ Mr. Allan RobertsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to ban chlorofluorocarbons in all but medically essential aerosols.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyMembers of the British Aerosol Manufacturers Association have already agreed to end all non-essential use of chlorofluorocarbons in their products by the end of this year. They are well on course to achieve this.
§ Mr. Allan RobertsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to how many countries Britain exports chlorofluorocarbons which are not signatories to the Montreal protocol.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyExport data for past trade are not sufficiently detailed to provide this information. A recent revision of data headings means that such data should become available in due course for 1989 and subsequent years. The Montreal protocol does not prohibit the export of CFCs to countries outside the protocol as this might persuade them to start their own new production of CFCs. However, from 1 January 1993, any export of the controlled CFCs or halons to such countries must be compensated for by an equivalent additional reduction in domestic consumption.
§ Mr. Allan RobertsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects a ban on the use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration units to be implemented.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyIt is hoped that new ozone-benign refrigerants will be available early in the 1990s, although their introduction will be subject to the satisfactory conclusion of toxicological testing. At present, the voluntary approach to reductions in chlorofluorocar-bon use is working well. Should new rules become necessary to require the use of the more beneficial refrigerants as they become commercially available, then we would introduce them.