§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the quantities and types of waste dumped into the Irish sea from sources in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Trippier[holding answer 22 January 1990]: Licensing the disposal of waste at sea is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and his colleagues in Scotland and Northern Ireland. No licences have been granted for the disposal of liquid and solid industrial waste in the Irish sea and information on the disposal of sewage sludge and dredged spoil is given in the Ministry's, "Report on the disposal of waste at sea—1986 and 1987", a copy of which is in the Library (a similar report giving figures for 1988 is expected to be published shortly). Information on waste inputs generally in the Irish sea is given in the status report prepared by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.