HC Deb 13 November 1979 vol 973 cc529-30W
Mr. Dalyell

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what steps have been taken by his Department to improve management structure of those authorities dealing with coastal disaster and their ability to respond rapidly to disaster at sea as a result of their experience during the "Eleni V" incident.

Mr. Tebbit

The reports entitled "Accidents at Sea Causing Oil Pollution", "Improved Arrangements to Combat Pollution at Sea" and "Liability and Compensation for Marine Oil Pollution Damage", copies of which have been placed in the Library, together contain the results of a comprehensive study of national contingency arrangements for dealing with pollution incidents at sea, carried out in the light of the three tanker disasters which occurred during 1978. Their recommendations are being progressively implemented. In particular, a marine pollution control unit, consisting

I. COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE YARN AND THREAD*
£ million January-September
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Imports (cif) … … 51.6 86.7 77.0 115.5 149.2 181.2 151.2
Exports (fob) … … 39.5 56.1 49.5 81.7 94.7 106.0 103.1

Thousand tonnes January-September
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Imports … … 55.7 71.4 65.5 78.6 89.3 101.3 77.1
Exports … … 41.8 48.2 37.7 54.3 54.0 60.4 53.7

II. WOVEN COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE CLOTH (EXCLUDING NARROW AND SPECIAL FABRICS)†
£ million January-September
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Imports (cif) … … 67.6 90.1 104.2 144.3 204.6 320.3 259.5
Exports (fob) … … 26.5 33.5 36.9 59.8 80.3 96.3 84.0

Thousand tonnes January-September
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Imports … … N/A 34.6 34.1 40.5 48.5 73.1 58.7
Exports … … N/A 16.1 16.0 22.5 24.5 27.6 23.9
Source:
United Kingdom Trade Statistics.
* SITC(Rev 2) Sub-groups 651.3 to .8.
† Groups 652 and 653 and corresponding items under Rev 1.
Note: Details of the weight of woven cotton and man-made fibre cloth imported and exported in 1973 are not available.

of a small team of highly qualified persons dedicated full-time to this subject, and which will have operational command of any major pollution incident, has been established within the marine division of my Department.

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