§ Mr. GouldTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what progress the Government have made in encouraging the European Community to set minimum efficiency standards for certain categories of domestic and industrial appliances which vary widely in their use of energy since September 1990;
(2) since his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) of 25 February, Official Report, column 343, what progress has been made towards introducing a scheme for labelling electrical appliances with information about their energy efficiency.
§ Mr. WakehamThe Government have encouraged and participated in the Commission's development of a proposal for a framework directive on mandatory appliance labelling, which is expected to be submitted to the Council in the near future. We are exploring with retailers and manufacturers the possibilities for an interim voluntary scheme which would enable the early introduction of labelling in the United Kingdom.
Agreement on energy efficiency labelling is an essential first step towards the successful introduction of minimum standards for appliances, and we support the Commission's intention to establish minimum energy performance levels, in the first instance by negotiating voluntary agreements with manufacturers.