§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the ports in the United Kingdom that do not have oily waste discharge facilities available to vessels. [4200]
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 5 December 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 14 June 1995 at column 532.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many aerial surveillance sorties were flown to check for oil spillages around the United Kingdom coast in(a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) in 1995 to date; [4199]
(2) if he will list those vessels that have since the publication of the Donaldson report been (a) identified discharging oily wastes illegally at sea and (b) prosecuted for those offences; and what fines have been imposed. [4197]
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 5 December 1995]: I have asked the chief executive of the Coastguard Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. Nick Ainger, dated 6 December 1995:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about aerial surveillance to check for oil spillages and vessels which have been identified as discharging oily wastes illegally at sea.The number of aerial surveillance flights to check for oil spillages around the United Kingdom coast were as follows:
270W
Year Ship patrol flights Oil rig patrol flights Operational flights Total 1993 91 57 77 225 1994 98 57 54 209 19951 120 53 65 238 1 To 30 November. Since May 1994 the Agency's Marine Pollution Control Unite (MPCU) has identified 47 vessels as possibly being responsible for illegal discharges. These were referred for Port State Control inspections and of the 47 identified cases, 27 are currently open, 19 have been closed, either because no offence was committed or because of lack of evidence, and one has been prosecuted.The prosecution resulted in the master of the JENCLIPPER, being fined £4,000 in October 1995 for the illegal discharge of engine washings. In the absence of conclusive evidence the names of the other vessels cannot be released.Prosecutions are also brought by other organisations including local authorities, port and harbour authorities and environmental bodies. Further information is contained in annual reports prepared by the Advisory Committee on Pollution of the Sea (ACOPS). Copies are available in the House of Commons' Library.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he plans to implement the Donaldson report recommendation that the cost of the use of oily waste reception facilities in ports should be included in harbour dues; [4201]
(2) if he will introduce a system of waste auditing in ports to improve the enforcement of discharge limits for oily wastes from shipping. [4198]
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 5 December 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 1 and 2 November at columns 309 and 466.