§ Lord KENNET asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What resources (and other provisions) are now available for, and what research is being done, and where, dealing with the release of LNG/LPG at sea.
1578WA§ Lord JACQUESLPG and LNG tankers are designed to minimise the risk of a major release of their cargo into the sea in the event of a collision or a stranding. In the very unlikely event of such a release occurring without ignition at source, it is impossible to prevent the formation of a gas cloud, which would, for a period, be inflammable. The results of theoretical and relatively small scale practical research undertaken both in the United Kingdom and overseas into the behaviour of the LNG and LPG gas clouds arising from a spillage at sea and the consequences of ignition in such a cloud are already available. The need for, and practicality of, full-scale tests is under study.