§ Mr. GarnierTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the risks to the global environment arising from the transfer of industrial processes from the United Kingdom and other countries with strict environmental legislation to countries with poor or non-existent controls.
§ Mr. MacleanThe main risks to the global environment from industrial processes are from those which contribute to global warming and through the release of ozone depleting substances. The Government are committed to pursuing multilateral solutions to these problems.
This year over 150 countries including the United Kingdom signed the United Nations framework convention on climate change. All partners will be committed to producing national programmes of measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The Montreal protocol provides controls on the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances and trade in them. At a recent meeting of the parties to the protocol it was agreed that CFC's should be phased out by the end of 1995 and halons by the end of 1993.