§ 8. Mr. DAVID GRENFELLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Government, having brought the subject of pollution of the sea by oil before the League of Nations, will now give a lead towards international action for the prevention of pollution by declaring its willingness to agree with other nations that the fitting of separators shall, after a certain period, be made compulsory in oil-driven and oil-carrying ships?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe United Kingdom representative on the Second Committee of the last Assembly of the League of Nations stated that His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom were prepared to fall in with any international scheme calculated to lessen the damage done by oil pollution in navigable waters. The practicability of any remedy, including that referred to by the hon. Member, will be determined by a survey of the evidence which is at present being obtained from the Governments concerned by the Communications and Transit Organisation of the League of Nations, in accordance with the procedure outlined in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton (Sir C. Rawson) on the 18th February.
§ Mr. GRENFELLWill the right hon. Gentleman inform the House of the nature of the reply given by His Majesty's Government to the specific question No. 3 of the questionnaire?
§ Sir J. SIMONIf my hon. Friend will give me an opportunity to get the information, I will communicate with him, if I can.
§ Sir WILFRID SUGDENWould the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to receive a report of the Society of Engineers dealing with oil separation and with the magnificent work that they are doing in respect of it?
§ Sir HERBERT SAMUELAs representing the principal maritime country in the world, will not His Majesty's Government see that this country gives a lead in this matter?
§ Sir J. SIMONI would remind my right hon. Friend that I have already reported to the House that His Majesty's Government did give a very definite lead. As the representative of His Majesty's Government, I gave the lead.
§ Sir H. SAMUELSeeing that the answer just given was that His Majesty's Government would be prepared to fall in with any international scheme, the suggestion which I would ask him to consider is whether His Majesty's Government will not themselves formulate a scheme for the acceptance of other countries?
§ Sir J. SIMONThis matter is being dealt with by the League of Nations, and we have been very largely instrumental in pushing it forward. The League of Nations have instructed the proper organisation to go into the whole matter, and our own representative has played his full part there. I am sure that my right hon. Friend will agree that if anything is to be done—and I hope that something can be done—it must be done by international agreement.