HC Deb 26 July 1993 vol 229 c700W
Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide details from the maintenance and servicing record of the quantity and type of ozone-destroying chemicals used annually in his Department's refrigeration and air conditioning equipment for servicing and in leakages; and what proportion is removed for recycling.

Mr. Yeo

Tollgate house, Bristol is the only building occupied by my Department where refrigeration plant within the air conditioning system contains ozone depleting substances. It is estimated that consumption of R22 per annum is:

  1. 150 kg utilised
  2. 15 kg reclaimed

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many refrigeration and air conditioning systems in the Department are equipped with automatic leak detection systems.

Mr. Yeo

Tollgate house, Bristol is the only building occupied by my Department where refrigeration plant within the air conditioning system contains ozone-depleting substances. There are no automatic leak detection facilities but an exercise is under way to consider the removal of these substances. The installation of automatic leak detectors will be considered in the light of the consultants' report.

Mr. Chris Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his departmental green Minister has promoted protection of the ozone layer with specific policy measures; which possible measures have been considered and rejected; and on what grounds.

Mr. Yeo

My Department's green housekeeping policy statement states the measures we are taking to protect the ozone layer. These are: (1) to continue to eliminate products containing halons, chlorofluorocarbons, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1—trichloroethan and other ozone-depleting substances well in advance of the Government's responses to international agreements and EC regulations; (2) to extend the leakage prevention programme through regular servicing of all refrigeration and air conditioning equipment containing ozone-depleting substances in compliance with professional codes of practice. No measures for promoting protection of the ozone layer have been considered but rejected.