§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what contingency plans he has for responses to major fire on board any of the FPSO in severe weather conditions in the oil fields west of Shetland; and if he will make a statement. [94528]
§ Mr. MeacherArrangements are in place; the response to a major fire would be dealt with by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in co-operation with operators of offshore installations and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In line with Lord Donaldson's report on command and control at sea, DTI would co-ordinate in the event of an incident involving a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) installation at anchor, where there is risk of or actual damage to the environment.
Under health and safety law, operators must assess major accident hazards, including fires, and take appropriate measures to deal with them. The Health and Safety Executive enforces these requirements, and inspects the installations to ensure measures are in place.