HC Deb 30 January 1987 vol 109 cc463-4W
Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific improvements his Department has made in its monitoring of offshore sea disposal sites in the last three years.

Mr. Gummer

Improvements made include an increased sampling capability, greater emphasis on the study of changes at sea disposal sites, and closer integration of chemical and biological analyses.

Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the numerical limits placed by Her Majesty's Government on the levels of annex I and II substances which, when disposed of at sea in dredged materials, are considered acceptable.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 5 December 1986, at column813.

Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the average concentrations of annex I and annex II substances was in dredged materials disposed of by the United Kingdom in 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86 in the North sea.

Mr. Glimmer

Data for the years up to and including 1984 may he found in the annual reports of the Oslo Commission, copies of which are in the Library of the House. Data for 1985 and 1986 will, as usual, be published by the commission in due course. Commission's proposals for sales to the USSR. There are, however, many who, like the United Kingdom, believe that we must reduce production to a level much nearer demand, which would then obviate the need for such sales.