§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the abandoned British bases in Antarctica, stating for each what plans he has to ensure that they do not despoil the Antarctic environment.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthI have been asked to reply.
201WStations and field huts abandoned since 1947 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey or its successor, the British Antarctic Survey—BAS—are:
South Orkney Islands:
- Cape Geddes
South Shetland Islands:
- Admiralty Bay
- Deception Island
Trinity Peninsula:
- Hope Bay
- View Point
Antarctic Peninsula:
- Portal Point
- Danco Island
- Port Lockroy
- Anvers Island
- Prospect Point
- Detaille Island
- Orford Cliff
- Stonington Island
Brunt Ice Shelf:
Halley Bases l-IV
Each of these bases has been visited by an inspection party to assess the work required, with the exception of Halley I and Halley II, which are now buried and inaccessible. The sites will be maintained, removed, or, in a limited number of cases, maintained as historical monuments, and the survey is now drawing up a programme to undertake the necessary work.
Remedial work has already been undertaken as follows:
Deception Island—Clean up work in 1990–91 and 1991–92, with removal of waste and fuel oil.Halley III—Clean-up work and removal of waste in 1990–91, before the base became too unsafe for access.Anvers Island—Removal of the base, except for the foundations, by a United States group on behalf of BAS.