To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps the Government are proposing to take to ensure the eradication of the production of ozone-depleting chemicals at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement.
The Government are committed to phasing out CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform within the United Kingdom by the end of 1995 at the latest. Both United Kingdom producers will cease production of these substances no later than that date. Last week, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment wrote to the president of the EC Environment Council, urging the Community to adopt the strongest possible position in the negotiations towards the revision of the Montreal protocol, which will begin in April.