HL Deb 30 November 1987 vol 490 cc925-6WA
Viscount Dilhorne

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make a Statement on the progress made at the recent second International Conference on the North Sea towards reducing pollution of the North Sea.

Lord Belstead

The Second International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment chaired on 24th and 25th November, achieved unanimous agreement on a wide range of positive and realistic measures to protect the North Sea from pollution. We are grateful for the co-operative and constructive attitude shown by all the delegations to the conference.

The most important measures include:

More stringent control on the inputs of dangerous substances into rivers, one of the major sources of such inputs;

Reductions of inputs of nutrients into affected areas;

Assessment of the effects of atmospheric pollution of the North Sea and reduction of atmospheric emissions of pollutants where possible;

An end to the dumping in the North Sea of harmful industrial wastes, by the end of 1989;

A ceiling, at 1987 levels, on dangerous contaminants in sewage sludge disposed of in the North Sea;

Reducing the use of incineration of wastes at sea by 65 per cent. by 1st January 1991, and seeking the agreement of the Oslo Convention to phasing out this practice by 31st December 1994;

Recommending to the International Maritime Organisation that the North Sea he declared a Special Area under Annex V (Garbage) of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention (this would effectively prohibit the dumping of garbage from ships anywhere in the North Sea);

Applying the best available technology to minimise pollution from radioactive discharges;

Setting up a task force to ensure better coordination of North Sea research and monitoring (the United Kingdom is to host the inaugural meeting in early 1988);

Enhanced co-operation on airborne surveillance of off shore operations and of shipping;

Recognition of the special needs of the Wadden Sea.

It was also agreed to hold a third conference, in The Netherlands, in early 1990, to review progress.

I am arranging for copies of the Ministerial declaration to be placed in the Library of the House.