§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce regional UV-B monitoring systems; what initiative he has undertaken to encourage Scottish industry to switch to non-ozone depleting substances; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector Monro[holding answer 3 November 1992]: Plans are under way to extend the monitoring network set up by the National Radiological Protection Board in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of the terrestrial solar UV levels over United Kingdom latitudes.
As part of an awareness-raising strategy, a series of booklets entitled "Protecting the Ozone Layer and Safeguarding your Business" has been produced. These urge industry to take immediate action to reduce dependency on ozone-depleting substances and provide information about the main alternative technologies currently available. Regular meetings with representatives of United Kingdom producers and users of ozone-depleting substances are also held to ensure that the 284W implications of international negotiations on the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances and the options for switching to alternatives are as widely understood as possible.