HC Deb 26 February 1990 vol 168 cc69-70W
Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licence applications have been made over the past five years to the Oslo commission by the British Government to allow the dumping of wastes in the North sea; and what was the nature of the wastes in question.

Mr. Curry

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 13 February,Official Report, at column 199. Since that date information has been submitted to the Oslo commission on a fifth waste, a chalk solution from sugar refining.

Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, by works and by geographical location, the sources of the most significant volumes and tonnages of materials dumped under licence in the North sea over the past five years.

Mr. Curry

Most of the material dumped from the United Kingdom under licence in the North sea in the past five years has been material dredged from ports and harbours. The most significant volumes (in excess of 1 million tonnes per annum) have been dredged from the firth of Forth, the Tees, the Humber and the Harwich. Stone from certain collieries on the Durham and Northumberland coast has also been dumped at sea in quantities exceeding 1 million tonnes per annum.

Three quarters of the sewage sludge dumped came from London. More than half the volume of liquid industrial waste disposed of at sea was from the ICI works at Billingham.

Dr. Kim Howells

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements exist for the monitoring of the effects of industrial waste dumping in the seas around Britain.

Mr. Curry

Monitoring is undertaken at least every two years in all disposal sites for solid industrial waste and in or close to all sites for liquid industrial waste. In addition there is a separate programme for surveillance of water quality of coastal areas. The Ministry also undertakes a programme of surveillance of quality of fish and shellfish in coastal waters and there is a continuing programme of assessment of fish disease in United Kingdom waters.