§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent measures he has taken with his European colleagues to improve the safety of transport of oil cargo in European waters.[100490]
§ Mr. JamiesonA number of measures designed to improve the safety of the transport of oil by sea were agreed at the European Transport Council on 6 December 2002. The Council set out 20 conclusions, endorsed a week later at Head of Government level, which requested action at member state level, collectively at EU level, and by member states at the international level. The range of activity is ambitious — from ship design through better enforcement of existing safety rules to better arrangements for intervention, salvage and clean-up.