§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans there are to establish a United Kingdom refrigerant bank.
§ Mr. AtkinsI am pleased to announce that a United Kingdom refrigerant bank, the Refrigerant Users Group is being launched tomorrow. RUG is being set up by the refrigeration industry with the support of Government to manage the existing stocks of refrigerants efficiently and environmentally. It is being set up as part of Halon Users National Consortium Ltd. and will have the same role for refrigerants that HUNC has performed in relation to halons. It will act as a clearing house putting those who need to continue using recycled chlorofluorocarbons in touch with those who have spare CFCs for sale. This is the first refrigerant bank to be set up in Europe.
The establishment of RUG is a vital step in allowing us to phase out CFC production by the end of this year. It will enable existing equipment to be serviced using recycled material and allow an orderly phaseout. It shows United Kingdom Government and United Kingdom industry commitment to phase out ozone-depleting substances as quickly and as safely as possible. RUG is a very good example of industry's willingness to support Government in achieving a common environmental goal.