§ 18. Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about eco-labelling.
§ Mr. YeoThe eco-labelling scheme was formally launched by the European Commission at the end of June 1993. The Commission has also approved the first ecological criteria, those for washing machines and dishwashers which were developed by the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board. Manufacturers of these products are now able to apply for an ecolabel for products which meet the published environmental criteria and we expect the first labels to be awarded at the turn of the year. We hope that agreement will soon be reached on a range of other criteria including those for light bulbs, hairsprays, tissue products and soil improvers.