Canvey Island and Thurrock (Hansard, 4 April 1979)

§ Mr. Booth,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 April 1979; Vol. 965, c. 522], gave the following answer:

The Government have reviewed the safety situation on Canvey Island in the light of developments since the report published by the Health and Safety Commission last year.

The report assessed the risks from the existing and proposed installations at Canvey Island and concluded that, provided recommended improvements were made to existing plants, HSE did not 783W consider the situation to be such that any plants needed to be closed. The executive also concluded that changes could be made to the new developments proposed in the area which would eliminate most of the additional risk imposed by them and that there was no objection to their construction on health and safety grounds. Indeed, the executive's assessment was that, if all the recommended improvements were made. Canvey would be safer than it was at the time of its report, even if all the proposed developments went ahead.

Many of the report's recommendations have been implemented and others are in hand. The liquid petroleum gas pipeline from the British Gas Corporation's methane terminal has been emptied. Protection against hazards that might arise from spillage of liquefied natural gas has been provided in the shape of additional deck protection on one of the two ships which call at the terminal and the other will soon be similarly protected. Surveys of the Texaco and London coastal sites will be completed shortly, so that decisions can then be taken on the nature of any further retaining walls needed. Some of the further hazard surveys recommended in the report have been completed and the rest are well in hand. At Fisons, the purity of the ammonia is being regularly monitored with a view to ensuring that the impurities are not of such a concentration as to endanger the safety of the storage sphere. The Port of London Authority has issued a notice to mariners stipulating an eight knot speed limit for vessels in the Thames estuary and takes steps to secure compliance.

I have asked the Health and Safety Executive to do all it can, with the firms concerned, to expedite implementation of those recommendations which have not yet been fully carried out in existing plants. In particular, I understand that by mid-April British Gas Corporation expects to have reduced the quantity of LPG stored from over 12,000 tons at the time of the HSE's report to about 3,000 tons; and that about 6,000 has already been transhipped. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy will also be talking to the British Gas Corporation about the LNG storage facility.

The report considered three proposed developments. One of these—the extension to the Mobil plant—is under con- 784W struction, and I am assured that it will not come into operation until the HSE is satisfied as to its safety. In the second case, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment intends to re-open the exploratory inquiry into possible revocation of the planning permission granted to United Refineries Ltd. to enable the parties concerned to make representations in the light of the HSE report before he proceeds to a decision. In the third case, Occidental Refineries has decided for commercial reasons, to defer indefinitely completion of its refinery.

Two aspects of the HSE report concern the local authorities. First. I understand that the Essex county council—the highway authority—plans to improve existing road conditions later this year. An all-weather track for emergency purposes will be provided through fields to the west of Waterside Farm roundabout and there will be minor improvements to the B1014 between Waterside Farm and Winter Gardens. The Secretary of State for Transport will be having further discussions immediately with Essex county council as to whether other improvements are necessary.

Second, the local planning authority has consulted the HSE about restrictions which should be placed on further development in the area, a matter on which HSE has given advice in a number of other areas. In this case, HSE has suggested to the planning authority that it would be prudent to maintain an area of about 1 kilometre radius round each of the potentially hazardous installations within which further housing developments should not be permitted. There is already housing in this area. Since there is no support in the HSE report for seeking its removal, Castle Point district council, as the planning authority primarily responsible for the formulation and operation of its development control policy, proposes to allow some individual development in the nature of infilling or redevelopment there. HSE do not see any objection to the council's exercising development control on that basis.

Concern has recently been expressed about the possibility of a Bantry Bay type disaster in the Canvey Island area. The possibility of an incident on an oil tanker was foreseen by the safety and reliability directorate when it carried out its 785W investigations on behalf of HSE for last year's report. Its conclusion was that the effects of such an incident at Canvey would be limited to the area of the jetties and would not affect the general public. Nevertheless, the executive will take into account any lessons from the inquiry which the Government of the Republic of Ireland are conducting into the Bantry Bay explosion, particularly in relation to regulations dealing with dangerous goods in port areas. In addition, the safety of tankers themselves is being improved. A requirement to have inert gas systems for safety has been imposed on new large United Kingdom registered tankers since 1975, and this requirement will progressively become mandatory for all but the smallest new and existing tankers in the early 1980s. Many United Kingdom registered tankers are already so equipped.

Following the bomb attack at the Texaco terminal in January, the Essex police has met representatives of the main Canvey Island firms to offer advice and see what improvements are necessary. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy has reminded the British Gas Corporation and the principal oil companies of the need urgently to take all reasonable steps to ensure adequate security against terrorist attack. His Department will be reviewing progress with them within the next few days.

The concern about the safety of Canvey Island arose not so much from considerations related to one particular installation, but from concern about the number of potentially hazardous installations in a relatively small area and the possible repercussions of an accident at one plant on other plants. For this reason the Government welcomed the HSE report and its detailed and quantified assessment of the risks, both individually and totally. We accept the HSE's assessment and its conclusions relating to existing plants and the Mobil extension. In so far as the United Refineries Limited case is concerned, the Secretary of State for the Environment will, as I have explained, consider what is said about the project in the HSE report and representations on it, as well as other matters, in the context of the reopened inquiry before taking a decision in the matter.

The Government do not consider it necessary to set up any further inquiry. The investigation by the safety and reli- 786W ability directorate on behalf of HSE was the most thorough and detailed type of assessment relating to industrial operations in a particular location ever carried out in the United Kingdom, and probably in the world. Any further inquiry could only duplicate the work already done. The reports of the further hazard surveys by the companies will be appraised by HSE and action will be taken by it to secure any further improvements if the surveys show them to be necessary.

A significant improvement in safety is being achieved as a result of the recommended measures and the Government are satisfied that the right course in the interests of those who work and live on Canvey, is to press ahead with outstanding action on the recommendations. The HSE report, and the work which went into its production, has highlighted for all the companies concerned the importance of constant vigilance over the safety of their operations and activities, so they can be in no doubt now of their responsibilities in this respect to their workers and to the public. The Government will continue to keep the situation at Canvey under close review.