§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps his Department is taking to discover the origin of oil which has recently polluted beaches in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire;
(2) what steps his Department is taking to discover the exact nature and source of the pollution which has recently affected marine life and beaches at Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answers 20 January 1994]: A small area of oil pollution measuring 2 ft wide on Amroth beach, Carmarthen bay, was first reported to the Department of Transport's marine pollution control unit on 3 January. On 4 January oil pollution in the form of tarry lumps covering four to five miles was reported at Pendine beach and the following day a "slick" two miles long and 4 yd wide was reported on the sea close to Pendine beach. The MPCU arranged for its aerial surveillance aircraft to be diverted to the area. No oil was reported at sea, and no vessels were seen in the area. MPCU has discussed the incident with Dyfed county council, who took action to clean the affected beaches. Despite prompt action to discover the source of the pollution, it has not proved possible to identify the cause.