§ Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the negotiation of a regional agreement to control the dumping of waste at sea; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PriorI am pleased to announce that Her Majesty's Government have signified their approval of the text of a Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, which they expect to sign within the next few weeks. The Convention will control dumping of waste at sea by participating countries in the North-East Atlantic area. Approval by the national authorities will be required for all dumpings in the sea and there will be a prohibition on the disposal of some substances and tight control over others requiring special care. The Convention will establish a Commission to co-ordinate its working and will provide for international co-operation in research into and monitoring of the marine environment.
Her Majesty's Government have played a full part in the negotiation of this Convention, which originated in a meeting of the North Sea countries convened by the United Kingdom in London last June.
Legislation providing for the statutory control of dumping at sea in conformity with the Convention will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time permits.
I have arranged for copies of the provisional text of the Convention to be made available in the Library of the House. The final text will be laid before the House, after signature, in the usual way.