§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of pollution in the Irish sea is caused by sea dumping.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Licences for dumping are granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and in the Irish sea apply only to the disposal of dredged spoil and sewage sludge.
Available data on inputs to the Irish sea are contained in the quality status report by scientists from the United Kingdom and Ireland published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, a copy of which is in the Library. As with other United Kingdom coastal waters, inputs of contaminants from dumping are generally less significant than those from rivers and estuaries.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations have been received about pollution in the Irish sea.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory[holding answer 12 March 1990] : A number of representations have been received recently from organisations and individuals concerned with protection of the marine environment in the Irish sea. The United Kingdom Government are committed to applying their policy to protect the marine environment generally to all their coastal waters and the Irish sea will benefit from the package of measures which were agreed at the North sea conference in the Hague on 7 to 8 March.