HL Deb 23 November 1983 vol 445 cc237-8
Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have yet identified, from samples of the oil, the vessel which caused the pollution in the Hebrides in mid-October and the resulting damage to wildlife.

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, I regret that it has not been possible to trace the vessel which caused this unfortunate pollution off the Isles of Coll and Tiree last month and which resulted in such a regrettable loss of bird life in the area. Samples of oil were taken from the shores of Coll and Tiree and from the plumage of oiled birds during the incident and these were compared with samples taken from two vessels known to have been in the area at the time, but tests indicate that none of the samples taken from the vessels matched the oil spilled in the incident.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his reply. I share his regret that the culprit has not been traced on this occasion when many sea birds suffered a miserable death. Can my noble friend say whether the system of matching oils is yet precise enough to obtain conclusive evidence against a particular vessel?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

Yes, my Lords. Government scientists are quite satisfied that the techniques now employed could achieve that result.

Lord Underhill

My Lords, can the Minister indicate briefly what monitoring arrangements are made to check on oil spillage? Are the Government satisfied that everything possible is being done in that monitoring?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, the Marine Pollution Control Unit comprises a small number of people but it also has eight aircraft which are maintained and operated around the clock. They are stationed in various parts of the country. In addition, that unit has recently acquired airborne remote-sensing equipment for identifying oil at sea.

Lord Shinwell

My Lords, is it not the case that Lloyd' s Register can locate any vessel at any time if it is engaged in legitimate shipping business?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, I very much regret to have to tell the noble Lord, Lord Shinwell, that that is not so. There is a voluntary code of identification mostly used in the Dover Straits, particularly by vessels carrying dangerous or hazardous cargo. Otherwise, Lloyd's can only identify a ship sailing on a particular day but not exactly where it might be.

The Earl of Cromartie

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that some time ago I asked a Question about oil spillage in the Minch? The Answer was not very satisfactory. I was told that it was something to do with the laws of the sea. Is he aware of the danger not only to birds but to people living both on the islands and on the mainland? Is he also aware that the oil spill could have been very much worse had it been further north where it would have been completely closed in in what is very nearly an inland sea? Will he ask his noble friend to look more carefully into the question of oil vessels, usually sailing under flags of convenience—which makes the situation even more dangerous—using the Minch?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, I can certainly assure my noble friend that I shall draw his remarks to the attention of my right honourable friend. We have no evidence that ships flying flags of convenience are worse culprits than others. We think that the incident to which my noble friend Lord Campbell of Croy refers in his Question is probably the result of illegal tank or bilge washing.

Lord Somers

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that the large number of catastrophes that we have had with oil vessels implies that on the whole tankers tend to be rather too large and therefore not easily manageable at sea?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, there is no evidence to suggest that the size of tankers has very much to do with the occurrence of spillages.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that in this case it was fuel oil and not crude, so that it could have come from almost any kind of craft? Will the Government promote the development of the system of detection, as well as the system of matching oils? This could be a powerful deterrent against practices which foul our inshore water and our coastline.

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

My Lords, my noble friend is quite right. It will undoubtedly be of interest to noble Lords to know that the 1973 International Convention for Prevention of Pollution from Ships and the Protocol of 1978, which sets out the regulations, came into force on 2nd October. The transfer of information between the Northern European port operators and ourselves is now very much closer than it was before.

Lord Bruce of Donington

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that at an inquiry in Paris in 1979 into accidents at sea, including oil pollution, which was held under the auspices of the European Parliament, evidence was produced that ships flying flags of convenience in the main were more culpable than the rest? Will he have a further look into this matter?

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

Yes, my Lords.

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