§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has studied the report of the Council on Environmental Quality, a copy of which has been sent to him, advising the President of the United States of America that the ocean dumping of toxic industrial wastes should be terminated immediately; and if he will adopt these proposals in relation to ocean dumping in British coastal waters.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 16th November in which he referred to a review concerning marine pollution. This review, which is being carried out by the Departments concerned, will take account of the contents of the Report to which the Question refers. I must not anticipate the results of the review, but it would be wrong to assume that toxic wastes cannot be disposed of in the sea under conditions in which no harm results to the marine environment.