§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to ensure that the lessons of the disaster at Bantry Bay on 8th January are learned and applied in relation to the trans-shipment of oil, gas and chemicals much closer to residential areas, as at Canvey.
§ Mr. John Grant:Full information on the causes of the Bantry Bay accident is not likely to be forthcoming until the 919W results of the inquiry which, I understand, is to be carried out by the Irish Government, are available. The chairman of the Health and Safety Commission tells me that the working party on conveyance and storage of dangerous goods in port areas set up by the Commission's advisory committee on dangerous substances is taking into account all available information in the preparation of new proposals for regulations controlling ship-to-shore trans-shipments of dangerous substances. These proposed regulations would supplement or replace existing port byelaws controlling the loading or unloading of petroleum spirit.