§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the currently envisaged timescale for the stabilisation of emissions of greenhouse gases; and what he sees as the likely time scale for the phasing out of substances damaging the ozone layer.
§ Mr. YeoUnder the United Nations framework convention on climate change, the United Kingdom Government are committed to taking measures aimed at returning emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000. A detailed programme of measures designed to achieve this target for each of the main greenhouse gases will be published soon.
Current agreed phaseout dates for ozone depleting substances are as follows:
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons are likely to be phased out by 2015 subject to EC agreement.
Substance Phaseout date CFCs I January 1995 Carbon Tetrachloride 1 January 1995 Halons 1 January 1994 111 Trichloroethane 1 January 1996 There is also to be a cap on methyl bromide use in 1996.