§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment 13W his Department had made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16308]
§ Mr. StreeterMy Department, its agencies, and the Northern Ireland Court Service ensure that annual assessments of the presence of hazardous materials are carried out on their behalf in accordance with the requirements of health and safety legislation. When such materials are found, they are removed or made safe as quickly as is practicable. With regard to ozone depleting substances, each body has completed a programme of inspections of all buildings on their estate.
Within the Court Service there are no halon fire fighting systems, all refrigerants used have an ozone depletion potential of less than 0.05 and all new builds use cavity fill insulation in accordance with BS5617, 5618 and 8208 or use alternative materials. The Lord Chancellor's Department has no halon fire fighting systems, and controls, monitors and removes ozone depleting substances in accordance with the EC protocol. The Northern Ireland Court Service has phased out all halon fire fighting systems and uses the Department of the Environment (NI) Construction Service to ensure that ozone depleting substances in refrigerants and air conditioning are controlled and monitored to comply with regulations.
The HM Land Registry controls, monitors and replaces all ozone depleting substances as soon as is practicable. The Public Record Office is phasing out all halon fire fighting equipment by March 1997. The Public Trust Office's audit concluded that it complied with all regulations regarding ozone depleting substances.