§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the amount of illegal discharges made by ships into the North sea for the last 10 years(a) including and (b) excluding accidental discharges. [26112]
§ Mr. NorrisThe information is not available in the form requested.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proposals the United Kingdom Government will put forward or support at the forthcoming North sea ministerial conference in relation to controlling non-accidental pollution from ships with particular reference to oil. [26114]
§ Mr. NorrisIn addition to a number of proposals on marine pollution generally, the Government will put forward and support specific proposals on the designation of the North sea as a special area for oil discharges under annex I of the international convention on the prevention of pollution from ships 1973–78 and on the improvement of the availability and quality of port waste reception facilities for oily wastes.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department intends to police the limits of discharge by ships set by the amendments to annexe 1 of MARPOL 73/78 in 1992. [26117]
§ Mr. NorrisPort state control inspectors assess discharges of oil by studying oil record books and quantities of oil on board vessels. Inspectors also inspect oil pollution prevention equipment and the ability of ships' staff to use it correctly, when carrying out port state control inspections of foreign vessels and general inspections of UK vessels.