§ 108. Mr. Donnellyasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the oil pollution round the coasts of Pembrokeshire; and what is he proposing to do about it.
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§ Mr. BarnesI have received three complaints this year of oil pollution round the Pembrokeshire coast, one of them through my hon. Friend. Much of the present pollution in this area, as elsewhere, is probably due to the dispersal or breaking up of war-time wrecks.
In August last arrangements were made to notify the Master and Chief Engineer of every oil-burning and oil-carrying ship entering United Kingdom ports of their obligations under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1922, and also of the voluntary agreement entered into by shipowners of this and a number of other countries not to discharge oil within 50 miles of any coast. Whenever adequate evidence of an offence under the Act is forthcoming, action is taken but, as my hon. Friend knows, evidence is not easy to obtain. The Admiralty, as harbour authority, successfully prosecuted an offender at Milford Haven in September.