§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is, in both cash and constant prices, the amount of financial support his Department has given to fund research into oil spill clean-ups in each year since financial year 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NorrisThe expenditure on research into oil spill clean-ups in the years specified was:
Year Expenditure £ Deflated to 1987–88 prices £ 1987–88 988,938 1988–89 741,975 691,621 1989–90 737,089 644,687 1990–91 874,603 708,410 1991–92 610,464 462,506 1992–93 1830,000 603,197 1 Estimate.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration has been given to the use of napalm to tackle the oil slick resulting from the Braer disaster; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NorrisMy Department considers all available techniques when dealing with oil pollution at sea in oil spill360W incidents. Burning the slick would not have been appropriate in the Braer incident due to the location of the vessel and the weather conditions. My Department has also commissioned a research project to review burning as a response option.