HC Deb 18 December 1990 vol 183 cc96-7W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most up-to-date estimate of the percentage loss to the atmosphere of unburnt methane from(a) industrial boilers, (b) commercial boilers, (c) domestic central heating boilers, (d) gas stoves and (e) gas fires.

Mr. Moynihan

The percentage leakage of unburnt methane from gas appliances is generally very low, but will depend on both the kind of device and the state of its maintenance.

Work under way for the Department of the Environment at the Warren Spring laboratory to improve the national inventory of emissions includes the assessment of leakage from broad categories of gas usage, but figures for the appliances mentioned are not yet available.