§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the capacity of the Royal Navy, in vessels, spraying kits, and stocks of dispersants, to deal with any major oil pollution incident at sea.
§ Mr. JohnPollution clearance at sea is primarily the concern of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade, and the Royal Navy assists in offshore pollution clearance operations at his request. Apart from the offshore patrol vessel HMS "Jura", which carries Department of Trade spraying equipment and dispersant, the Royal Navy's pollution clearance capability is designed for dealing with oil spills within the naval dockyard ports, and stocks of dispersant and clearance equipment are held for this purpose. However, in an emergency spraying equipment can be fitted to HM ships and auxiliary craft, and within this limited capability every effort is made to meet requests for assistance from the civil authorities.