HL Deb 10 July 1990 vol 521 c251WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What research is being done into the long-term safety of the chemicals intended to replace the chlorofluorocarbons.

Lord Trefgarne

Manufacturers of hydrofluorocarbons and Hydrochlorofluorocarbon substitutes now being developed for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have formed international consortia, four of these, comprising the Programme for Alternative Fluorocarbon Toxicity Testing (PAFT), are concerned with the toxicity testing of seven possible substitutes. The Alternative Fluorocarbons Environmental Acceptability Study (AFEAS) programme particularly focuses on the potential effect of these, and three others already developed, on global warming, stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, and on the likely effects and processes of their degradation. Consistent with their commercial priorities, the two UK CFC manufacturers are playing a full part in these consortia.