§ 33. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Trade what has been the cost to the Government of combating oil pollution from tankers during each of the past five years; and what action he intends to take to ensure that the fighting of oil pollution in the future will be more efficient and less costly.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisThe following figures on my Department's expenditure on dealing with actual spills from tankers include net expenditure after claims on tanker owners: financial year 1970–71, gross £461,500, net £85,400; 1971–72 gross £55,900, net £20,300; 1973–74 gross £24,900, net £1,000.
There was no such expenditure in the other two years.
These figures do not include expenditure on setting up, equipping and maintaining the clearance organisation. Measures to improve its effectiveness are continually reviewed, and we are also examining carefully the action taken in connection with the recent oil spillage in the Dover Strait in order to determine the lessons to be learned.