HC Deb 25 May 2004 vol 421 cc1501-2W
Jane Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what action has been taken to reduce the(a) number and (b) severity of pollution incidents from underground tanks at petrol stations; [173802]

(2) what recent risk assessments have been undertaken of potential oil leakage from underground tanks at petrol stations; [173804]

(3) what estimate she has made of the proportion of underground oil tanks at petrol stations which have (a) double-skinned tanks and (b) remote wetstock monitoring. [173805]

Mr. Morley

The "Groundwater Protection Code: Petrol Stations and Fuel Dispensing Underground Storage Tanks", was published by DEFRA in 2002. It sets out a framework of good practice to help petrol station operators to avoid groundwater pollution and comply with the Groundwater Regulations. The Environment Agency has also developed operating agreements with individual petroleum companies that aim to prioritise capital investment based on a common understanding of environmental risk. The Agency will be reviewing the effectiveness of operating agreements piloted with a number of petroleum licensing authorities, in order to improve notification of spills, with a view to extending their use.

Environmental risk assessments are the responsibility of the operators of petrol stations. The Environment Agency has worked with the UK Petroleum Industry Association to develop a suitable risk assessment technique that is widely available to operators. The Environment Agency has also undertaken a number of pollution prevention visits to high risk petrol stations for the purposes of the Groundwater Regulations.

1 Includes artificial honey.

2 Production plus imports less exports.

3 Production less exports as a percentage of production.

Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of(a) apples, (b) pears, (c) strawberries and (d) raspberries grown in the UK was for the UK market in the last year for which figures are available. [173765]

Alun Michael

UK production and supply of apples, pears, strawberries and raspberries are given in the following table:

Information on double-skinned oil tanks, or remote wetstock monitoring, at petrol stations is not collected and held centrally. However, the Environment Agency, in carrying out its duties to prevent pollution from petrol stations, will consider pollution problems on an individual basis according to the particular risk posed.