HC Deb 17 June 1980 vol 986 cc455-6W
Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what further progress has been made in ascertaining what cargo remains within the holds of the "Aeolian Sky"; and what steps are being taken to remove or contain it.

Mr. Eyre

The results of the dive commissioned by the Department of Trade and carried out in April, combined with the continuing negative reports of chemicals on the beaches of coastal authorities, confirm that the state of the cargo in the "Aeolian Sky" has stabilised, with the hazardous chemicals essentially remaining in No. 1 and No. 2 holds along with other general cargo.

Trinity House has decided that some of the wreck must be demolished in order to achieve a sufficiently safe depth of water over it, and it has agreed in the first instance that the cargoes in holds 1 and 2, and the 600 tons of bunker oil and 200 tons of oil for auxiliaries must be removed.

Tenders for this work are due within the next two weeks.

Back to
Forward to