Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, under what criteria products are granted exemption from the prohibition on smoky fuels in a controlled area.

Under Section 21 of the Clean Air Act 1993, the Secretary of State has the power to exempt fireplaces, such as stoves or solid fuel boilers, by order, for use in smoke control areas if they meet certain defined criteria. To obtain exemption, products must have passed a series of tests that demonstrate that they are capable of operating without producing smoke, or a substantial quantity of smoke. These tests assess whether products can comply with emission limits which are based on thresholds in British Standard BS PD 6434:1969 or in the Clean Air Act (Emission of Grit and Dust from Furnaces) Regulations (SI 1971/162), depending on the appliance size.