§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he will introduce into partnership with other North sea Ministers to designate the North sea as a special area under the marine pollution convention in relation to oil discharges.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 8 February 1994]: An intermediate meeting of North sea conference Ministers in December 1993 considered actions taken within the International Maritime Organisation on annexes I and Il of MARPOL. They agreed upon steps for further evaluation of reception facilities and the enforceability and impact of current regulations as a basis for considering at the 1995 North sea conference any need for designation of the North sea as a special area under these annexes. Officials are now taking the evaluation process forward for the United Kingdom in conjunction with representative ports and shipping organisations.
A copy of the Minister's statement of conclusions has been placed in the Library.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the volume of oil which is intentionally discharged by shipping vessels into the North sea each year.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 8 February 1994]: It is estimated that legal operational discharges of oil from shipping traversing the North sea is between 1,000 and 2,000 tonnes per annum.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any requirement for ships entering British ports to use reception facilities for the dispersing of oily wastes and garbage; and where such facilities are available.
471W
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer Tuesday 8 February]: Harbour authorities and terminal operators are required to provide reception facilities for ships carrying oily wastes and garbage. There is no legal requirement for ships to use such facilities. Information on oil reception facilities in United Kingdom ports collected by the Department of Transport is contained in the International Maritime Organisation circular MEPC/Circ.234 copies of which have been placed in the Library. Indications are that all ports have arrangements for the reception of garbage.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of oil discharged into the North sea were reported in 1993–94; how many incidents were investigated; and how many resulted in prosecutions under the marine pollution convention for each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 8 February 1994]: From January 1993 to January 1994, the Department's marine pollution control unit received reports of 397 pollution incidents in the United Kingdom sector of the North sea. Of these, 95 were related to ships, the rest were related to offshore installations. All of these incidents were investigated and as a result, 21 vessels were inspected at their next port of call, resulting in four cases being passed on for further investigation and possible prosecution—three to a foreign flag state and one to the Treasury Solicitor. All cases are still under investigation.
In the past five years, 25 shipping cases have been sent for further investigation by the relevant competent flag state authorities, including seven to our own Treasury Solicitor. Out of these 25 investigations, successful prosecutions have been obtained on seven occasions—see table—and 10 cases are still under investigation:
Number 1989 2 1990 2 1991 2 1992 1 1993 1— 1 (Three referred to Flag States).