§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons she has made; and what targets exist for future progress; [86494]
(2) if she will make a statement on the progress in securing voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons. [86495]
§ Mr. MeacherIn 1996, the Government concluded a voluntary agreement on the use of HFCs with the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) and its member organisations to ensure emissions to atmosphere were minimised. The agreement took the form of a "declaration of intent" in recognition of the fact that the industry is very widely dispersed and that signatories to the agreement could not make a commitment on behalf of those they did not directly represent.
The UK climate change programme published in November 2000 sets out the key elements of the Government's policy on HFCs. During 2000, discussions with ACRIB led Government to conclude that a national registration and competence scheme for refrigerant handlers would be a more effective way of limiting and minimising HFC emissions from the refrigeration sector. The industry is developing a scheme which it proposes to put to Government in early 2003. The Government's intention is to make registration and minimum competence mandatory for companies and refrigerant handlers.