§ Lord KENNETasked Her Majesty's Government:
What resources (and other provisions) are now available for, and what research is being done, and where, into, dealing with chemical pollution and of which kinds, at sea.
§ Lord JACQUESThe Warren Spring Laboratory of the Department of Industry are undertaking a continuing research programme to enable chemical tankers to comply with the operational discharge requirements of Annex II to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973. The Laboratory are also testing the effectiveness on a wide range of chemicals carried in bulk by sea of dispersants developed for use on oil spills.
The present state of development of the arrangements for dealing with chemical spillages at sea is described on pages 16–18 of the Department of Trade's publication Improved Arrangements to Combat Pollution at Sea. One of the main tasks of that Department's new Marine Pollution Control Unit is to develop a national plan, including measures to deal with potential marine pollutants other than oil, such as chemicals.