§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the reasons why he will not take immediate steps to prevent oil tankers of 20,000 tons or over which are not equipped with an inert gas safety system from being handled at jetties on Canvey Island or Thurrock, where a large residential population lives close to a multiplicity of industrial hazards.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe Health and Safety Executive recently conducted a major investigation into potential hazards at Canvey Island and its report, published in May 1978, does not identify the unloading of crude oil as a major problem. The banning of tankers of 20,000 tons or more does not at the moment therefore appear to be justified. However, I fully accept that nothing should be taken for granted. There are improvements in prospect, including the more widespread fitting of inert gas systems to oil tankers, to which I drew attention in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. Hoyle) on 26 January.—[Vol. 961, c. 270–1.]