§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what biological and physiological parameters are monitored by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department, in order for the Department of the Environment to assess the cumulative impacts of discharges from offshore oil and gas installations on marine wildlife and habitats. [505]
§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonThe Scottish Office marine laboratory in Aberdeen has a wide-ranging programme of environmental monitoring in the seas around Scotland. This includes monitoring of offshore oil and gas operations designed to establish the distribution and concentration of contaminants, mainly hydrocarbons, in sediments and water. The biological effects of operational discharges, including possible cumulative effects, are also under continuing study. The marine laboratory publishes all its findings in a series of reports. The annual review describes the full range of scientific activities of the laboratory and the recently published report on "Environmental Monitoring of the Seas around Scotland 1970–1993" contains data associated with offshore operations. I have placed copies of these documents in the House of Commons Library.