§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what proposals he has for the development of port and ship waste management plans; [12493]
(2) if he will make provision of port waste reception facilities a statutory duty. [12494]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 27 January 1997]: The Government attach considerable importance to the provision of waste reception facilities in ports. Harbour authorities are already under a statutory duty to provide adequate waste reception facilities under the Merchant 127W Shipping (Reception Facilities for Garbage) Regulations 1988 and the Prevention of Pollution (Reception Facilities) Order 1984. In January 1996, the Government announced the introduction of port waste management planning to improve the provision and use of waste reception facilities. Waste management plans were introduced initially on a voluntary basis, in advance of the introduction of the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Bill, which seeks to make port waste management planning mandatory. International regulations requiring ship waste management plans will be implemented from July 1997 for new ships and July 1998 for all ships.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the Merchant Shipping Regulations 1988 in reducing marine debris. [12492]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 27 January 1997]: Surveys by and on behalf of the Marine Safety Agency have shown that the waste reception facilities provided by harbour authorities pursuant to the Merchant Shipping (Reception Facilities for Garbage) Regulations 1988 are generally adequate. It is therefore difficult to make a specific assessment of the effect of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1988 in isolation from other legislation relating to pollution of the marine environment from both shipping and land-based sources.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up a public register of legal notices, offences and fines relating to pollution of the marine environment from shipping. [12496]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 27 January 1997]: The Government already publish details of vessels prosecuted for marine pollution offences and vessels which have been reported to their flag states for suspected pollution offences. We do not intend to introduce a public register.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a statutory obligation for port authorities to keep garbage record books. [12495]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 27 January 1997]: Garbage record books have been developed by the International Maritime Organisation as a means to assess the compliance of ships with regulations on the discharge of garbage from ships. They will be required on new ships from July 1997 and on all ships from July 1998. It would be inappropriate for a similar requirement to be applied to port authorities.