Ozone Depletion (Hansard, 27 July 1993)

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantity of HCFC 22 is purchased by his Department per annum.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Information on the quantity of HCFC 22 purchased by the Department is not available.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the latest available figures for his Department's total purchase of CFCs and HCFCs.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Information on the purchase of CFCs and HCFCs by the Department is not available.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons installations are contained within his Department's buildings.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
The Department does not maintain central records of the number of its installations that contain CFC and HCFC.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade which current uses of ozone-depleting chemicals by his Department are considered essential.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Following the consultation exercise carried out by the Department of the Environment earlier this year, no decision has yet been taken on any applications by the United Kingdom under the terms of the Montreal protocol for continued production of ozone-depleting chemicals for essential use.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of his Department's consumption of ozone-depleting substances become controlled waste in terms of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
All ozone-depleting substances that need to be disposed of are controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the quantity of ozone-depleting substances recycled within his Department and returned to the manufacturer.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Information on the quantity of ozone-depleting substances returned to the manufacturer938W is not available. The Department's policy is to ensure that such substances are disposed of or recycled in an environmentally responsible way.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many catastrophic leaks of ozone-depleting substances have occured within Department buildings in the last five years.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
It is departmental policy to ensure that installations and equipment are properly maintained, in particular so to avoid catastrophic leaks of ozone-depleting substances. Detailed maintenance records are not kept centrally.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much funding has been allocated or spent to specifically deal with measures to reduce his Department's consumption of ozone-depleting substances.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
The objective of reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances is integrated into the Department's general purchasing decisions. Separate information on funding for specific measures is therefore not available.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many chlorofluorocarbon domestic fridges are contained within his Department's buildings;
(2) if he will give an undertaking to purchase only ozone-friendly fridges that do not contain CFCs or HCFCs for his Department.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Information on the number of CFC domestic fridges contained within the Department's buildings is not available. My Department will phase-out the use of refrigerators containing CFCs and HCFCs as soon as possible, taking into account value for money and all relevant environmental factors, including energy efficiency.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade by what date his Department's use of ozone-depleting chemicals will conform to EC regulations on limits on these chemicals.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
There are as yet no EC regulations limiting the use of ozone-depleting chemicals.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many portable halon fire extinguishers are contained within departmental buildings; and what measures are being taken to ensure their recycling and replacement.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Portable halon fire extinguishers are replaced, when time-expired, with non-ozone depleting alternatives, in accordance with the Department's policy.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what action has been taken to ensure that ozone-destroying substances consumed by his Department are identified as controlled wastes when they are no longer in use;
(2) what measures have been taken to ensure that ozone-destroying substances in use by his Department identified as controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 do not reach the atmosphere.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
My Department and its contractors take appropriate action to deal with the disposal of 939W ozone-depleting substances used within departmental buildings in accordance with existing requirements. We also have the Department of the Environment's new guidance for procurement and accommodation staff, which instructs them to ensure that contractors comply with best practice in terms of professional guidance and relevant British standards.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many refrigeration and air conditioning systems in his Department are equipped with automatic leak detection systems.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Information on the number of the Department's refrigeration and air conditioning systems that use automatic leak detection systems is not held centrally. However, the Department ensures that effective preventive monitoring and detection equipment is part of the maintenance regime.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets have been set for the recycling of ozone-depleting chemicals within departmental buildings.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Although no specific targets have been set, the Department aims to recycle ozone-depleting chemicals as far as possible.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidance has been sought and received on alternatives or substitutes to the ozone-destroying chemicals in use by his Department.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
The purchasing policy of my Department has been informed by guidance from several sources. This includes the Department of the Environment's new guidance for procurement and accommodation staff, which instructs them to ensure that contractors comply with best practice in terms of professional guidance and relevant British standards. My Department has also published guidance on the replacement of ozone-depleting substances used in refrigeration and air conditioning, for fire extinguishing systems or as solvents.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. McLoughlin
Information on the quantity and type of ozone-depleting chemicals used annually by the Department's refrigeration and air conditioning equipment for servicing and in leakages is not held centrally.

§ Mr. Chris Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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. McLoughlin
My Department subscribes to the Government's policy on protection of the ozone layer as reflected in the United Kingdom's existing commitments to phase-out production of some ozone-depleting substances and its participation in continuing international discussions to introduce wider controls.
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§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to promote and assist the UKAEA's development into a profitable commercial research and development contractor.

§ Mr. Eggar
The Atomic Energy Authority is expected to meet objectives prescribed by the Government. The prime objective is to ensure that it competes effectively in its markets, develops its business to meet customers' needs and earns an acceptable return on its assets. Performance against these objectives is monitored on a regular basis. The AEA is also eligible to receive support under various export promotion and other schemes operated by my Department to assist British companies.