§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in view of oil tankers fouling the English Channel with oil, and the difficulties in tracing the origins of oil slicks for remedial action by spraying detergents, he will take steps to ensure that all of the United Kingdom tankers carry supplies of detergent solvents with spray equipment and anti-pollution equipment to be used immediately when an emergency Occurs.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNo. In an emergency involving a tanker, circumstances would rarely permit effective spraying operations against escaping oil by the ship itself even if it were suitably equipped. Locating oil from a damaged tanker is not usually difficult and it is better to use specially equipped vessels to disperse it.