§ Mr. HawksleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the Government propose to phase out the use of halons more rapidly than required by the Montreal protocol following the decision to establish a halon recycling scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsIt is not Government policy to phase out the use of halons. Our policy, in line with that of the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and subsequent EC regulations, is to control the production and supply of halons, not their use. Production of halon was phased out by 1 January 1994.
The halon bank has been set up to enable recycled halons to be made available to service those halon users with a continuing need. The establishment of the bank is in accordance with decision IV/26 of the parties to the protocol agreed in November 1992 to encourage recovery, reclamation and recycling of halons. The UK halon bank was the first in the world and has helped to ensure that production of halon will not be necessary during 1994.
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