§ 13. Viscount CURZONasked the President of the Board of Trade how many prosecutions have been undertaken for offences against the Oil in Navigable Waters Act; how many have succeeded; and what steps have been taken by his Department to secure the agreement and conformity of other countries with this Act?
Mr. WEBBThree prosecutions by local harbour authorities for offences against the Oil in Navigable Waters Act have come to my notice. In two cases fines were imposed, and in the third the summons was dismissed, the defendants paying costs. The Act applies to all ships, British and foreign, within the territorial waters of Great Britain aid Northern Ireland. The regulation of shipping outside territorial waters is a matter for international agreement, and steps are being taken to ascertain whether there is a probability of an international conference being convened by one of the leading maritime Powers.
§ Colonel ASHLEYCan the right hon. Gentleman state whether the Irish Free State is coming to an agreement with us upon this very important matter? Have they been approached?
Mr. WEBBThere are two questions involved. One is the question of discharging oil in navigable waters within the three-mile limit, and the other is question about the outside. The Irish Free State has been communicated with.