§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what proposals he has for increasing the number of vessels capable of mechanically recovering oil;
(2) how many vessels capable of the mechanical recovery of oil are available for hire in the United Kingdom; and where they are normally located.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe speed of ships—10 to 12 knots—makes them slow to deploy to the scene of an oil 73W pollution incident which could occur anywhere around the 3,000 miles or so of United Kingdom coastline. And mechanical oil recovery systems are unable to operate in the weather conditions that exist around United Kingdom coasts for much of the year. Because of those limitations the Marine Pollution Control Unit's contingency arrangements are for government owned and commercial sets of portable equipment held in shore stockpiles to be fitted into suitable vessels as and when the occasion demands. There are many such vessels which can be used for this purpose and the nearest suitable ship would be chartered together with a coastal tanker to receive recovered oil.
There is one commercially owned purpose-built sea-going oil recovery vessel for hire in the United Kingdom; this is normally based in the Forth. I have no plans for increasing the number of such vessels. The Department's first-line response strategy is aerial dispersant spraying. MPCU has under contract seven dedicated Dakota DC3 spraying aircraft and two Cessna remote-sensing aircraft to direct and control operations.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to recommend the strengthening of oil tanker hulls.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe standards governing the strength of tanker hulls are reviewed periodically. The International Maritime Organisation is however investigating ways to reduce the quantity of oil released from a tanker in the aftermath of a collision or grounding and this may lead to changes in tanker design.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to ensure that there would be no delay in compensation payments following an oil spill from a vessel not registered in a state signatory to the civil liability convention for oil pollution damage.
§ Mr. McLoughlinIn such circumstances compensation would come from the international oil pollution compensation fund based in London. It is the fund's policy to pay claims with the minimum of delay; in certain circumstances provisional payments may be made before final settlement of a claim if that is necessary in order to mitigate undue financial hardship to a claimant.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what incentives exist for oil-carrying vessels to register in a state which is a signatory to the international convention on civil liability for oil pollution damage.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe 1969 international convention on civil liability for oil pollution damage allows a shipowner to limit his liability in respect of claims in member states following an oil spill. The shipowner has to have compulsory insurance cover to meet his maximum liability which is calculated on his ship's tonnage and this insurance can be obtained at reasonable cost. These advantages to the shipowner have to be balanced against advantages to claimants. Claimants do not have to prove fault, the shipowner is strictly liable. Further the requirement for compulsory insurance guarantees that funds will be available to meet claims. In the event that the total claims exceed the shipowner's limit of liability a 1971 convention provides that any excess can be claimed from an international fund financed by a levy on oil importers. The majority of European states are members of both the74W 1969 and 1971 conventions. Improvements to both conventions were agreed in 1984 and we are actively encouraging their international entry into force.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to regulate the strength of oil tanker hulls and their impact resistance strengths through the fitting of removable bumpers.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Merchant Shipping (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) Regulations require the structural strength of an oil tanker registered in the United Kingdom to be adequate for its intended services. Removable bumpers on tankers have severe practical limitations. In general, bumpers are suitable only for low-energy contact of the sort encountered in harbours and terminals.