§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory bodies with responsibility for controlling pollution of seas and tidal waters report to him; and what arrangements exist for the co-ordination of their work with that presented to other Departments of State.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNone. The work of any statutory bodies which report to other Ministers is available to me through the normal processes of inter-Departmental consultation.
§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates have been made of the amount of oil discharged into navigable waters; to what extent this presents a threat to the coastline and marine life; and what is the major origin.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe amount of oil discharged into the seas round our coasts is impossible to estimate with any accuracy, but it is sufficient to be a serious nuisance on many beaches and to cause substantial mortality of seabirds. There is at present no evidence of lasting harm to other marine life.