HL Deb 16 July 1997 vol 581 cc111-2WA
Lord Gallacher

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will publish the report of the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents into the grounding and subsequent salvage of the tanker "Sea Empress" at Milford Haven in February 1996.

Baroness Hayman

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions is publishing the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch on the grounding and subsequent salvage of the tanker "Sea Empress" at Milford Haven between 15 and 21 February 1996 today. A copy has been placed in the Library. The report will be distributed by the Stationery Office. It is open for public comment for a period of six weeks. Thereafter, the Government will issue a detailed response to the report. In the meantime officials at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions will begin a review of the 1987 Pilotage Act. Lord Donaldson of Lymington has also been asked to conduct an independent review of salvage and intervention operations and their command and control, having satisfied himself that the Marine Accident Investigation Branch's report provides a reasonable basis for his review. Lord Donaldson's review will form part of the Government's ongoing review of the National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution. The detailed terms of reference of these reviews will be announced later.