THE "ELENI V" (Hansard, 14 June 1978)

§ The Earl of KINNOULL
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, the Government incurred expenditure on measures to deal with the oil spilled from the "Eleni V" and on measures to secure and eventually to sink the bow section of the tanker. The accounts for that operation have yet to be finalised, but the current estimate of the sum involved is approximately £2 million. The Government will be looking to the shipowners and their insurers, and to the voluntary oil industry scheme known as CRISTAL, to recover this expenditure.

§ The Earl of KINNOULL
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that helpful reply, may I ask him if he can say whether the Government are setting up any compensation arrangements to help those local businesses which have suffered loss of business from pollution of the beaches? Secondly, what advice did the marine biologists give to the Government 312 on the sinking of the ship at the particular point at which it was sunk, and whether there is any likely damage to the marine life there and, indeed, around our coasts?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, I must apologise to the noble Earl and to the House that I cannot answer either of these questions, because I was not aware that the original Question was going to range so wide. If the noble Earl would put down another Question, I shall certainly answer those two points.

§ Lord SHINWELL
My Lords, can my noble friend explain why the taxpayers should be called upon to accept a burden of this kind? Surely the ship was wholly insured and the underwriters will be entirely responsible?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, my noble friend is in fact correct. I may not have made myself clear, but so far as one knows there will be no burden on the taxpayer.

§ Lord AVEBURY
My Lords, is the noble Lord satisfied that persons whose interests are affected, such as those engaged in fishing and in tourism, who suffer financial loss as a result of oil spills, can claim compensation from the shipowners? If not, what plans do the Government have for introducing legislation to maintain the rights of these people against the tanker owners who cause such widespread destruction and damage?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, speaking without precise knowledge, the responsibility for the acceptance and payment of damages lies always with the vessel which has spilled the oil. The spillage is the area in respect of which compensation must be claimed; and, although it is not within my brief, I assume that local authorities which have incurred expenditure will be able to claim under this general arrangement.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY
My Lords, since Press reports have given the impression that the tanker was struck and split in two in bad visibility by a vessel of another nationality, not British, is an inquiry in train as to the responsibility for the accident? Because it may not have been the responsibility of the 313 tanker owners. Further, if an inquiry is in train, under whose auspices is it being held?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, because the accident took place on the high seas, inquiries are taking place in Greece and in France, which are the countries in which these ships are registered; but the claim is against the "Eleni V", the vessel that spilt the oil. Responsibility may be established later by the two national boards concerned, and then, of course, it will be a matter for dispute between the French and the Greeks.

§ Lord DAVIES of LEEK
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that it is estimated that somewhere every week a catastrophe of this dimension in the seas and oceans of the world is taking place? Is any initiative being taken internationally on the basis of reducing the size of these mighty tankers so that when a tanker does crash there is not the spillage that we get from the large ones as compared with the smaller ones?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, I have no knowledge of such a convention; but after the "Torrey Canyon" disaster an international convention on the civil liability for oil pollution damage was agreed under international law.

§ The Earl of KINNOULL
My Lords, while I accept that the question of compensation for individual businesses is outside the scope of the Question, could the noble Lord look into that question? Secondly, is he able to say whether the Government are instituting increased safeguards of the patrolling of these big tankers around our key points like the Channel and the Solent?

§ Lord WINTERBOTTOM
My Lords, I believe this country is well in advance in giving leadership in this field, not only round our shores but worldwide.