§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the incidences of(a) marine, (b) oil and (c) other pollution incidences recorded in United Kingdom waters in each year since 1990 from shipping registered in (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) other countries; what actions were taken to clean up in each case; what the cost was and by whom this was paid, including details of fines levied; and if he will make a statement. [85849]
§ Mr. JamiesonInformation is not available in the form requested.
The Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) produced a report entitled long-term analysis of oil spill statistics for the waters around the British Isles 1964 to 1995. For this period there was a consistent and continuing decline in the numbers of beach pollution incidents accompanied by a significant reduction in reports of crude oil and tar in the marine environment, reductions in the annual totals of tanker-source pollution and reductions in the annual total number of incidents attributed to the handling and transportation of oil around the UK coastline.
356WBetween 1978 and 1999 the ACOPS annual data has reported 12,746 oil pollution incidents.
The recently published ACOPS annual survey report 2001 identified 678 accidental or deliberate polluting discharges from vessels and offshore installations operating in the UK pollution control zone. There was a downward trend identified in the annual number of oil discharges in the open sea (excluding discharges from offshore installations).
Principal pollution incidents during the period 1990 to 2002 requiring a concentrated cleanup included the Braer in 1994 spilling 85,000 tonnes of crude oil, clean-up cost £52 million and the Sea Empress in 1996 losing 72,000 tonnes of crude oil, clean-up cost £39 million.
Since 1995 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has successfully prosecuted 10 ships, with an average fine of £20,000. This excludes prosecution by port authorities.
§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on changes in the frequency of monitoring of pollution incidences from shipping in United Kingdom waters. [85850]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) undertakes regular aerial surveillance of the UK Counter Pollution Control Zone through a contract it has with Air Atlantique. In August 2000, the contract was revised and awarded as a MCA/Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) joint contract, to provide 600 hours of programmed flying per year for the MCA to monitor pollution from shipping, and 300 hours for the DTI to monitor pollution from offshore installations. In addition to these programmed hours, the MCA has the capability to mobilise these aircraft at short notice to reports of pollution at sea.
Although the allocated hours in the new contract did not change, it provides faster aircraft and has enhanced Side Looking Airborne Radar, which allows the aircraft to scan 20 miles either side of the aircraft, compared with 10 previously. The aircraft can typically survey 32,000 square miles in a five hour period of surveillance, compared with 14,000 square miles in the past.
The aircraft are therefore able to respond quickly to reported incidents over a wider area, increasing the chances of identifying offending vessels and gathering evidence for use in court.
The MCA also commissioned a satellite oil spill sensing trial to assess whether satellites could be used to improve the detection and identification of polluters. Information from this survey was used to target surveillance aircraft to potential incidents in the survey area and surveillance flights were timed to coincide with reports from satellite imaging. The MCA are presently evaluating how this trial can be developed further to enhance their monitoring capability.