§ Lord Beaumont of Whitleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is true, as reported in The Times on 12th October, that they are preparing a list of sites for the disposal of oil slicks which they do not propose to make public and, if so, why.
§ The Earl of AvonIt is true that the Department of the Environment has commissioned the Joint Unit for Research on the Urban Environment at Aston University to identify a handful of sites which might be suitable for receiving oiled beach material following a major pollution incident off the South Coast of England. It is not true that the outcome of the exercise will be kept secret. The information collected by the unit will be sent to the appropriate county councils and the Nature Conservancy Council for consideration in due course.