Shetland Oil Spill (Hansard, 19 February 1993)

§ Mr. Morley
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of all interim compensation payments to date made to salmon farmers affected by the Shetland oil spill; and if compensation will be available to supply industries to the Shetland salmon farming sectors who have suffered loss of income as a result of the Shetland oil spill.

§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 26 January 1993]: On the basis of the established principle that the polluter pays, responsibility for compensation rests with the international oil pollution compensation fund and the MV Braer's own insurers. Decisions on compensation payments will be a matter for those two parties in light of the international conventions under which they operate. In addition, however, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland made an initial payment of £1 million to Shetland Islands council for the special bridging fund which he announced on 11 January.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the preliminary assessment of the impact of the Braer disaster on the inter-tidal and benthic communities of Shetland and on the sea-bed biomass.
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§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 15 February 1993]: Sediment samples form part of our comprehensive programme for monitoring the marine environment around Shetland. The analysis of the results will take time. When available they will assist our assessment of the extent and scale of impact on the benthic communities and the sea-bed biomass.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of the first reports from divers inspecting the sub-tidal impacts of the Braer spill.

§ Sir Hector Monro
[holding answer 15 February 1993]: Adverse conditions have limited the extent of divers' inspection of the sea bed. Oral reports by amateur divers undertaking dives in the area have suggested that, in selected areas such as the Bay of Spiggie, few or no benthic species appeared to have survived; in others such as East Voe of Scalloway there was no evidence of mortality. Arrangements for the marine nature conservation review team of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to undertake diving inspections around Shetland are currently being made.