HC Deb 07 February 1991 vol 185 cc220-1W
Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate has been made of the environmental damage caused by the bombing of Iraq's chemical and nuclear installations.

Mr. Trippier

With regard to nuclear installations I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling) at column504. With regard to chemical installations, meaningful assessments will only be possible once peace has returned to the area.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with Dr. Abdullah Toukan, chief scientific adviser to King Hussein of Jordan, concerning the environmental effects of hostilities in the Gulf.

Mr. Heseltine

None.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessments he has commissioned of the environmental damage caused by the oil slicks in the Gulf; what assessments have been undertaken by international organisations; and what actions are being taken to protect the future ecology of the Gulf.

Mr. Heseltine

I have commissioned an urgent report from the Natural Environment Research Council including an assessment of the biological effects of the released oil. This study is complete and has been made available to Gulf states. I have also seen an assessment by the World Conservation Monitoring Service, and the United Nations Environment Programme has announced its intention to send a team of experts to carry out an independent and objective assessment of environmental damage in the Gulf.

I understand that Government agencies in Saudi Arabia, assisted by a United Kingdom expert from the marine pollution control unit of the Department of Transport, are now determining priorities for protecting the most significant environmental sites.

Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps he is taking to protect from pollution the coral islands of Qaruh, Umm A1 Maradim and Kubbar;

(2) what response he has made to the representations on protection of coral by Dr. Nigel Downing on islands in Kuwaiti waters.

Mr. Heseltine

These islands are Kuwaiti territory and in the case of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim have recently been liberated by allied forces from Iraqi occupation. While they remain in the war zone, the scope for pollution control action is likely to be extremely limited. We have received representations from Dr. Nigel Downing on the ecological importance, particularly for coral, of these islands, which are confirmed by other assessments available to us; and we are making these available to authorities in the Gulf.