§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he proposes to take to reduce the incidence of oil spillages into the Thames;
(2) how many oil spillages into the Thames have occurred in the past year and from what source.
§ Mr. MacleanThe National Rivers Authority, which we established in 1989, has wide powers to prosecute polluters and to recover its clean up costs, and a vigorous policy of prosecuting those responsible for serious incidents; the courts can and do impose significant fines in respect of major cases, particularly since the Government's increase (to £20,000) in the maximum fine which magistrates can impose. I understand from the National Rivers Authority that in 1991, 23 oil pollution incidents were reported on the tidal Thames, nine of which were classified as major.