HC Deb 18 May 1988 vol 133 cc933-5
4. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline those measures taken by Her Majesty's Government to reduce the incidence of pollution in United Kingdom offshore waters.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Colin Moynihan)

A wide range of measures exist to control pollution in United Kingdom waters and recent quality status reports for the Irish and North seas show that they are generally in good condition. Substantial programmes are well under way to achieve improvements in water quality. In addition, a range of further initiatives were included in the ministerial declaration following the North sea international conference chaired by the United Kingdom last November.

Mr. Jones

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. I am sure that he is aware of public anxiety about pollution levels, particularly in the Irish sea, and of the effect of such pollution not only on the environment but on important industries such as fishing, tourism and agriculture. Is it not time for a major Government initiative aimed at drastically reducing what many people regard as unacceptably high pollution levels? Such an initiative would go a considerable way to allay that genuine public worry.

Mr. Moynihan

It was for those very reasons that the Government supported the conference declaration to reduce the input of dangerous substances into rivers, because that is a major source of pollution in coastal waters. That declaration aimed to reduce such pollution by 50 per cent. by 1995 by stopping the dumping of harmful industrial wastes into the North sea by the end of 1989. It is also intended to ensure that there will be no increase from 1987 levels of inputs of contaminants and sewage sludge.

Mr. Gale

Will my hon. Friend study carefully the report on the protection of the North sea against pollution, which was carried unanimously by the Council of Europe on 6 May? Will he consider the effect that the dumping of waste has on the north Kent coastal resorts such as Margate and Herne Bay in my constituency? Will he consider carefully the implementation of recommendation c.i. in the report? It recommends: ensuring that ships' waste is stored and treated in port, and that any discharge of such waste at sea is severely punished".

Mr. Moynihan

Full consideration is being given to the report and, as my hon. Friend will know, it is precisely because of the sort of worry that he has expressed that we are committed to substantial expenditure through the water authorities of up to £70 million per annum, to seek improvements in the quality of coastal waters and a reduction in bacteriological levels. As to my hon. Friend's point about shipping, he will know that we are committed to working through the International Maritime Organisation to improve controls on pollution from ships.

Mr. Allan Roberts

The Minister referred to the ministerial declaration from the second international conference on the protection of the North sea, but how will the Government implement the recommendations to which they put their name? What dangerous substances going into our rivers will be reduced by 50 per cent.? The Government have not given us any idea of what those substances are. How will they reduce the contamination of sewage sludge by persistent toxic and accumulable materials when the amount of sewage sludge that needs to be dumped in the North sea is increasing? When will the Government respond to the assurance given by the Secretary of State for the Environment in the House? He said: I am certainly considering whether to create nitrate protection zones and I expect soon to come to a decision."—[Official Report, 2 December 1987; Vol. 123, c. 916]. When are we to have the decision, or is the row with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food continuing indefinitely?

Mr. Moynihan

The hon. Gentleman will know that we shall he publishing the red list of substances in connection with river quality objectives and the pollutants that are of specific concern to the Government once we have finalised the list. As to the range of other issues, I would encourage the hon. Gentleman to read in detail the 46 proposals on exactly how the Government intend to put into practice the recommendations agreed at the second international conference on the protection of the North sea.