Led by the US, nations moved with unprecedented speed to agree the treaty, called the Montreal Protocol, in 1987 – which started the process of phasing out use of the chemicals.The measures have been progressively tightened ever since. Scientists reckon that they will eventually prevent 2 million cases of cancer a year in the US and Europe alone. But President Bush’s new demands threaten to throw the process into reverse.They centre on a pesticide, methyl bromide, now the greatest attacker of ozone left in industrialised countries. The US is responsible for a quarter of the world’s consumption of the chemical, which has also been linked with increased prostate cancers in farmers.Under an extension to the Montreal Protocol, agreed in 1997, the pesticide is being gradually phased out and replaced with substitutes; its use in the West is due to end completely in 2005. Nations are legally allowed to extend the use of small amounts in “critical” applications, but the US is demanding exemptions far beyond those permitted, for uses ranging from growing strawberries to tending golf courses.It is also pressing to exploit a loophole in the treaty – allowing the use of the chemical to treat wood packaging – so that, instead of being phased out, its use would increase threefold.The demands now go to an international conference in Nairobi this autumn. Experts fear that, if agreed, the treaty will begin to fall apart, not least because developing countries – which are following rich nations in phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals – could cease their efforts.”The US is reneging on the agreement, and working very, very hard to get other countries to agree,” said David Doniger, a former senior US government official dealing with ozone issues, who now works for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “If it succeeds, it threatens to unravel the whole fabric of the treaty.”Dr Joe Farman, the Cambridge scientist who discovered the Antarctic ozone hole, added: “This is madness We do not need this chemical We do need the ozone layer How stupid can people be?”.

The Government’s surprising decision not to reappoint Sir Rodney Walker as chairman of UK Sport when his term expires in September could rebound on them. Although publicly maintaining a diplomatic silence, the ex-Rugby League chairman and Yorkshire shot-put champion is privately seething at the way it was unexpectedly announced by the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, at last week’s “sports summit” before he had a chance to inform his staff or council members. It would be no surprise if, as did Trevor Brooking when he left the chair of Sport England nine months ago, he fires a few well-aimed bullets on his exit. It is believed Sir Rodney is unhappy at the way he has been treated over a number of issues, not least the clumsy handling of the announcement of his departure – and he is a man who knows where bodies are buried. Jowell’s gaffe did little to improve her troubled relationship with Britain’s sports leaders, most of whom seemed unimpressed with her summit speech, despite the promised diversion of &

The Government’s surprising decision not to reappoint Sir Rodney Walker as chairman of UK Sport when his term expires in September could rebound on them.

One called it, somewhat uncharitably, “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, while another described her address as “patronising” and “more like a party political broadcast”. The disaffected mood was further reflected at the subsequent lively CCPR annual meeting, where both Brooking and chairman Howard Wells continued the attack on diminishing Exchequer funding for sport (which Jowell denies) and overdependence on the Lottery. With Craig Reedie’s decision to step down from the chairmanship of the BOA after Athens (fellow IOC member Matthew Pinsent is tipped as his successor) the re-election of Wells at least brings some stability to sporting government.
Are they playing politics with sport?The anticipated appointment of Sue Campbell to replace Sir Rodney Walker as chair of UK Sport may raise her profile but it will also raise a few eyebrows within sport itself, and a few questions, too. Campbell, a former hockey and netball international who is one of the government’s senior sports advisers, also runs the Youth Sports Trust, which has benefited from a controversial £9 million deal with Cadbury’s to market their chocolate products in schools. Last week she was also made a council member of Sport England.