Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, this week ordered an investigation into what is being described as a multi-million pound fiasco caused by ministers failing to prepare the country to comply with new EC regulations on the disposal of domestic fridges. From 1 January 2002, under EC regulation No 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, the requirement to remove CFCs was extended to include CFCs in the insulating foam of all redundant refrigeration equipment, as well as liquid CFCs.