§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have been given by the Soviet authorities, or have asked for, any information about the deaths of many millions of starfish and of other marine creatures near the port of Archangel; whether the nature of the damage has been established; and, if it is possible that it may have resulted from the leaking of chemical warfare agents dumped in the aftermath of World War II, whether they will examine or re-examine the known dumping grounds of such substances in the North and other seas adjacent to the United Kingdom.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)We have no direct knowledge of the incident cited and therefore no knowledge of its causes. The question of chemical warfare agents disposed of at sea was discussed at a recent meeting of the Oslo Commission for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft and it was agreed that the issue should be referred for advice to the commission's scientific advisory group.