§ Mr. SimsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cause of the recent leak of oil from his Department's site at Aquila on to adjoining land; what steps have been taken to remove the pollution caused; on how many previous occasions similar incidents have occurred; what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeubertExtensive investigations made by my Department have not revealed any recent leakage of oil from the MOD Aquila site. It appears that the source of the recent pollution was outside the MOD site and that oil was introduced into one of the drains which run underneath the site. Two minor incidents involving oil spillage have occurred on the Aquila site, in February 1988 and June 1989. In each case immediate action was taken to limit and repair any damage.