§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the (i) explosives and (ii) other substances currently licensed under the Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987 at Loch Straven in Argyll and (b) applications for explosives and substances licences currently under consideration for this area stating which substances or explosives they relate to. [111529]
§ Mr. SpellarA single licence is held by the NATO Oil Fuel Depot Loch Striven under the Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987. This licence sets the limit for the quantity of explosives or munitions that can be held on board a vessel while alongside the jetty. One of the terms of this licence is that explosives or munitions shall not be loaded, unloaded or otherwise handled and shall remain on board the vessel for the duration of the time that the vessel is at the Depot.
The licence is granted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and to meet operational requirements, an application was made on 12 July 1999 to the HSE to increase the limit granted under the licence from 80,000 kilograms to 160,000 kilograms. Following a preliminary survey by the HSE, it has been agreed that the limit of the licence will be increased to 110,000 kilograms.