§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received and from what bodies calling for a stricter enforcement of the Clean Air Act 1956 in regard to the emission of dark smoke from foreign-owned vessels around the British coast.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe matter on which I have received representations from the Association of Sea and Air Port Health Authorities and the Association of Municipal Corporations relates not to stricter enforcement of Section 20 of the Clean Air Act 1956 but to the legal difficulties arising in those occasional cases where a foreign ship, having allegedly committed an offence under that section, sails before enforcement can be effected, and the owner has no registered office in this country. Amending legislation would have implications going far beyond the scope of the Clean Air Acts.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to amend the Clean Air Act 1956 to provide for increased fines against British and foreign-owned vessels that emit dark smoke and cause environmental pollution.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsThe statutory penalties for these offences, like all other pollution offences, are to be substantially increased.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing legislation, based on the practice of American ports authorities, to amend the Clean Air Act 1956 so as to enable foreign vessels to be detained until fines have been paid.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsI am advised by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Home Affairs and for Trade and Industry that any such provision, which would, of course, have implications going far beyond the field of clean air 89W to the whole sphere of offences committed by persons manning foreign ships berthing in this country, would in many cases involve entirely disproportionate financial costs to shipping.
§ Mr. Roy Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made representations to foreign Governments in an effort to curb the practice of some ocean-going vessels of emitting black smoke while in dock at British ports.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsNo. The occasions on which Section 20 of the Clean Air Act 1956 has proved inoperable are insufficiently frequent to justify such a course.