§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the letter of the Under-Secretary of State D/05 of S/IC 1295/04/A of 5 April, what his policy is on UK legacy wrecks and related issues of liability; what assessment he has made of their potential to pollute; and if he will make a statement. [177882]
§ Mr. CaplinOur policy on UK military legacy wrecks and related issues of liability remains as set out in my letter of 5 April. At present, the Ministry of Defence is consulting with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as to the most appropriate means of resolving the legal principle in international law of the ownership of wrecks. We do not expect to resolve the international position on ownership for some time because of the differing views taken by various states, although we hope to have a preliminary view by late autumn.
In respect of pollution, the wrecks database at the UK Hydrographic Office contains some 60,000 records of wrecks worldwide, of which approximately 20,000 are named vessels. If a wreck is below 200 metres, and so is not likely to be a danger to shipping, it is recorded but not charted. Within the Western Hemisphere there are 422 records of UK military legacy wrecks, only 275 of which are charted, and in the Eastern Hemisphere there are 501 records with 295 charted. No assessment has been made of the potential of each of these vessels to pollute. However, as I said to my hon. Friend in my letter of 5 April, the Ministry of Defence will continue to address individual cases of potential pollution hazards from UK military wrecks on their own merits and take whatever action we deem necessary.