HC Deb 31 January 1984 vol 53 cc140-1W
Mr. Beith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he has made to monitor the effects of the loss of a substantial quantity of the chemical, dinoseb, in the North sea from the Dana Optima on 13 January.

Mr. MacGregor

[pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1984]: The information available to me is that the majority of the drums of the agricultural chemical dinoseb lost from the Dana Optima on 13 January will probably be intact and resting on the sea bed. If, therefore, the Danish authorities are successful in recovering the drums, any harmful effects on the marine environment and biota will be from individual drums which have been damaged and are releasing their contents. If any of the intact drums are not recovered the release of the chemical is likely to be delayed for months or possibly years. However, once a drum has been breached, the release will take place fairly rapidly in view of the corrosive effect of the chemical on mild steel in the presence of water.

An initial assessment of the effects of the chemical on the marine environment and on fish has been carried out by Burnham-on-Crouch laboratory using pessimistic assumptions. It advises that, once released, dispersion should take place rapidly because the water mass available for dilution is large. However, following release from a drum a very limited area of sea would for a short time be polluted sufficiently to cause severe harm to the biota. As a result of dispersion, the effects on fish stock and on other marine species are likely to be limited.

The available evidence suggests that dinoseb will not give rise to any health hazards through bio accumulation in fish flesh. This is also the view of the Danish experts.

1979–1980 1980–1981 1981–1982 *1982–1983 *1983–1984
per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
(i) Share of rate income (net of rate rebates and domestic rate relief)
Domestic 42.0 42.8 43.2 43.1 43.2
Non-Domestic 58.0 57.2 56.8 56.9 56.8
(ii) Share of rate income (net of domestic rate relief)
Domestic 43.6 44.6 45.2 45.5 45.7
Non-Domestic 56.4 55.4 54.8 54.5 54.3
* based on local authorities' budgets/revised estimates

Seperate information is not available centrally for mixed hereditaments. I have today placed in the Library available information — on the same basis as (ii) — relating to each rating authority in England for the years 1981–82 to 1983–84.