42. Dr. Bennettasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which coastal local authorities are to be charged for the cost of cleaning the crude oil 319W drifting ashore from the "Torrey Canyon", in view of the fact that central funds were not available for this purpose; and if he will arrange for a special grant to repay the services of the Royal Navy on this occasion.
§ Mr. MacCollThere is no question of local authorities having to pay for the cost of the present operation of cleaning the oil from the sea. Local authorities have been assured that financial assistance will be forthcoming if necessary in order to ensure that the work of clearing the oil from the beaches does not cause an excessive burden on local rates. The situation will, of course, be kept under review.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when the joint working group on oil pollution will make its report.
§ Mr. MacCollThe chairman of the joint working group has said that he hopes their report will be ready by the end of June.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) whether in the light of the continuing menace of oil pollution, he will now introduce amending legislation to enable him to make a specific grant to coastal local authorities to help them financially in their task of clearing polluted beaches;
(2) if he will give guidance and financial help to local authorities towards the establishment of mobile emergency teams, acting in co-operation with the Defence Department, to tackle problems of oil pollution both on sea and on land.
§ Mr. MacCollAs far as oil from the "Torrey Canyon" is concerned, local authorities have been assured that financial assistance will be forthcoming if necessary in order to ensure that the work of clearing the oil from the beaches does not cause an excessive burden on local rates and the Department's officers have been helping local authorities in their preparations for dealing with pollution if it should occur. The situation is under continuing review.
More permanent measures will be considered in the light of experience gained in the present operation and of the report of the point working group set up last 320W October by the local authority associations and the Institute of Petroleum.
§ Mr. John Leeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what measures are to be taken to reduce the amount of pollution in the River Thames.
§ Mr. MacCollThe control of pollution requires the determination and enforcement of an appropriate standard of purity for each substantial discharge. The Thames Conservancy, for the non-tidal river, and the Port of London Authority, for the tidal river, give continuing attention to this problem. Any reduction in pollution must come from the improvement of existing discharges to the river and the restriction of new ones.