§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has undertaken to ascertain whether halons from fire-extinguishing systems made illegal after 2003 should be(a) destroyed and (b) recycled to critical users. [77562]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 28 October 2002]: In October 1998, WS Atkins and the Halon Users National Consortium (HUNC) produced a report for the former DETR entitled, "Assessment of the Use of Halon in the United Kingdom". This estimated that about 81 tonnes of Halon 1211 and about 238 tonnes of Halon 1301 would be decommissioned from fire-extinguishing systems by the end of 2004. Assumptions made by the consultants estimated that about 20 per cent. of the Halon 1211 and about 60 per cent. of the Halon 1301 would be recycled. The remainder would be destroyed.
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of Halons remain in service in the United Kingdom, and of this tonnage, how much comprises(a) H1301 and (b) H1211. [77564]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 28 October 2002]: In 2000, the European Commission produced "A Strategy for the Management and Elimination of the Use of Halons in the European Community". For the UK, it was estimated that 300–315 tonnes of Halon 1301 and 162 tonnes of Halon 1211 were installed in fire-extinguishing systems. In addition, it was estimated that 400 tonnes of Halon 1310 and 180 tonnes of Halon 1211 were held in stock.
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure atmospherically friendly products are being promoted as a preferable option to fire extinguishing systems which contain HFCs. [77565]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 28 October 2002]: The Government issued the UK Climate Change Programme in November 2000, and its publication was widely publicised. The programme sets out the key elements of the Government's policy on HFCs to enable industry and users to make investment decisions with more certainty. These elements include that HFCs should only be used where other safe, technically feasible, cost-effective and more environmentally acceptable alternatives do not exist, and that HFCs are not sustainable in the long term. The Government have a voluntary agreement with the UK fire-fighting industry in order to reduce emissions of HFCs and PFCs, which is currently under review.
In May 2001, jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department issued guidance to the industry and users entitled, "Phase out of Halons: 706W Advice on Alternatives and Guidelines for Users of Fire Fighting and Explosion Protection Systems". The guidance suggests a range of alternatives to ozone-depleting halons, including systems using water, carbon dioxide and foams.