§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the continuing damage to wild life and to seaside amenity from oil pollution, what further action is being taken or is contemplated, either by Government or by shipping interests, in the way of research or changes in operating procedures to bring this problem under control.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)My Lords, at my right honourable friend's request, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is undertaking research on an improved oily water separator for use in ships and on the development of a device to detect, measure and record the oil content of discharges from ships. The Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation has recently set up a Sub-Committee on Oil Pollution to co-ordinate and promote measures agreed at international conferences for combating oil pollution.
Your Lordships will doubtless have heard this morning's announcement of the new "load on top" system for oil tankers that is being adopted by the Shell, British Petroleum and Esso Companies, who believe that, if adopted by the industry generally, it will quickly bring about a substantial improvement. My right honourable friend regards these proposals as of the greatest interest. He will continue to keep in close touch with their progress, with a view to furthering them if action on his part would help.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I thank the Minister for a helpful reply. 1179 Before asking any supplementary questions, may I first say that I think we all enormously welcome the initiative shown by Shell, particularly, who have taken a lead in this matter, and B.P. and Esso, who are going along with them? May I ask the noble Lord two supplementary questions? First of all, will it be possible for Her Majesty's Government to bring some influence to bear on any tanker companies which are either resident in this country or have ships discharging in this country and which do not voluntarily go along with the proposals of the big oil companies—because there is a danger of their continuing not to adopt this system? Secondly, may I ask the noble Lord whether he thinks the reception facilities available for the discharge of this oily waste are adequate, at least within this country?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, on the first part of the question I think the noble Lord will understand if I say that there has not yet been time to study the implications of this system. I think that, at the present stage, until there has been time for such a study of the implications in full, both national and international, I ought perhaps not to say any more about it. So far as concerns the possibilities of the discharge of oily wastes, I think the oil companies have found certain difficulties around the world in the lack of suitable reception facilities for their oily waste. In fact, I think I am right in saying that one of the reasons why this system has been developed was to avoid ships carrying about oily waste which simply has to be discharged, and to arrive at a much more manageable system. I would have thought, as I understand the proposed system, that the actual discharge is reduced to a minimum, which will very much alleviate that problem.
§ LORD HURCOMBMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether it would not be possible for Her Majesty's Government, at an early date, to make it clear that they would not themselves charter any independently-owned tanker which did not adopt the new system of dealing with oily wastes?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, formal public announcement of this system was made only this morning, and as I have 1180 said, time has so far been a little short for a study of all the implications of it, which I should prefer to have happened before I said any more.
§ LORD HURCOMBMy Lords, I do not wish to appear unreasonable, but in point of fact this system has been under consideration by the Department which the noble Lord represents for at least two years; and, while I agree that we are immensely indebted to the initiative of our own oil companies, I do not think the problem burst upon his Department with quite the novelty he suggests. At any rate, any action Her Majesty's Government could take to put themselves behind this obviously practical method of dealing with a difficult situation would have a great effect throughout the world upon such shipowners who in this matter are not as enlightened as our own.
§ LORD CHESHAMOf course, I would never pretend that I was better informed than the noble Lord in any respect, but I would certainly say that what he has said is one of the matters which will require serious consideration.
§ LORD AUCKLANDMy Lords, may I assure my noble friend that his Answer will be received with satisfaction by the local authorities of seaside resorts? But may I ask him whether particular attention will be paid to the Sussex coasts, where holidaymakers are still having clothing very badly stained by oil pollution from these ships?
§ LORD CHESHAMWhile having every sympathy with Sussex, I do not think there is any area particularly interested in this matter. After all, this very objectionable business of the discharge of oil at sea affects all the oceans in the world.
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether his Department has yet made any approach to the Admiralty with regard to the practice, which ought to be adopted now in view of the Shell initiative, which applies to naval auxiliaries, naval tankers and all naval ships?
§ LORD CHESHAMFrankly, my Lords, without inquiry I cannot say to-day.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, may I ask one more or less hopeful supplementary question? May I ask whether the Government will continue 1181 their strongest efforts in regard to research, particularly in regard to oil already in the sea? There are several millions of tons of oil floating around in the sea and it will continue to float around and foul our beaches and kill the birds for many years ahead.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, we were aware of that. It is not only a question of what will happen from now on but what has happened in the past. I would certainly say the answer to the noble Lord's supplementary question is Yes.
LORD REAMy Lords, would the noble Lord say whether Her Majesty's Government will try to co-ordinate this matter with other countries, so that it is taken up universally?
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, that is what we are doing our best to do already, and we will certainly continue.