§ 5. Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on estimates which his Department has made of the size of vessel capable of using the proposed tanker terminal at Maplin.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe PLA proposes to provide initially for tankers up to 250,000 tons deadweight and later 500,000 tons if required. These proposals will be considered in more detail before any issue of authorisation under Section 9 of the Harbours Act, 1964.
§ Mr. DouglasIs the right hon. Gentleman apprised of the enormous cost of dredging to facilitate tankers, even of the smaller tonnage, getting up to the port facilities? Does he agree that if there were no airport at Foulness there would be no tanker terminal?
§ Mr. WalkerThe PLA will have to put up a sound financial case based on commercial demand before any authorisation can be considered. We are building an airport there and we have made it clear that we shall allow port facilities only if they will not endanger regional policy. This is such a facility.
§ Mr. CroslandAs my hon. Friend has said, it is only because of the airport that the question arises. Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is still acute anxiety in the whole area, partly because of lack of knowledge of what is proposed? Will he at the very least extend the time he has given for representations on the Foulness consultation document? He has given only a small number of weeks, which straddled the local elections, and authorities in the area are finding it very difficult to make representations in time.
§ Mr. WalkerI do not believe this is a problem. We have issued a consultation document and the local authorities are informing us of their views in great detail The authorities that ask for an extension of time tend also to be some of those which have given us their views on the topic. There has been enough time. We have consulted fully and will continue to consult fully in all these matters.