§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to monitor the illegal dumping of waste by shipping in the Bristol channel. [53421]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have been asked to reply.
Waters around the UK are regularly patrolled by surveillance aircraft equipped to detect pollution. The data held for 2001–02 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) indicate that more than 150 such flights were made under arrangements put in place by the MCA and that more than 20 per cent. of these flights covered the west or south-west of the UK and would therefore have covered part of the Bristol channel. In addition, civil and military pilots are encouraged to report sightings of pollution. Every incident spotted, or reported, is investigated and, whenever possible, those parties responsible for committing pollution offences are prosecuted.
The UK also has legislation in place to ensure a properly planned system of waste reception facilities in ports, in order to leave no excuse for ships to resort to the unacceptable practice of discharging their waste at sea. The MCA has approved 36 waste management plans for ports or parts of ports around the Bristol channel, an area of coastline stretching from Milford Haven to Newquay. In 2000, the European Community adopted a directive to establish a port waste reception facilities system across the Community; like other member states, the UK is working on the implementation of this directive, which will come into force in December of this year.