§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce an international maritime organisation record system to register and certify every vessel as to the type of antifouling paint used.
§ Mr. McLoughlinNone. An international record system for ships has been considered by the marine environment protection committee of the International Maritime Organisation and judged to be impracticable.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to establish the limit for vessel hull release rates for Tributyltin compounds used in antifouling paints in µg/cm2/day from vessel hulls, including an agreement on the method of measurement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe marine environment protection committee of the International Maritime Organisation has recommended that anti-fouling paints containing Tributyltin compounds should not have an average release rate of more than 4 microgrammes of organotin per square centimetre per day. My Department accepts this limit. With the United Kingdom's active participation acceptable methods for measuring release rates are being developed by the International Maritime Organisation.