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Marine Oil Pollution

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to prevent ships at sea spilling oil since the Sea Empress oil spill; and what further steps he plans to take. [47173]

Dr. Ladyman: The UK Government have played a key role, internationally, regionally and nationally, in developing many measures to prevent, or mitigate the consequences of, oil spills from ships during the 10 years since the Sea Empress oil spill in February 1996. The most significant measures are as follows:

In 1994, recognising the value of tugs in preventing groundings and other incidents, the UK introduced Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) on a trial basis. Initially ETVs were stationed at Dover and Stornoway for the winter months only. After further review, the number of ETVs was increased to four—stationed at Dover, Stornoway, the Fair Isle Channel, and in the South West approaches—and since October 2001 all four ETVs have been on station all year round.

The UK participated fully in the adoption in 1996 of the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Convention which will provide compensation cover similar to the international oil pollution compensation regime but for other oils and chemicals, and also for explosion, death or injury from such products.

In 1997 the UK co-ordinated an EU member states' initiative at the IMO to have the whole of the North Sea, and all waters around the UK and Ireland, declared a special area for the purposes of protecting those waters from operational discharges of oil from shipping.

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has a dedicated Enforcement Unit. In 1997, legislation was passed to enable magistrates to impose a fine of up to £250,000 on either the master or the ship-owner for an oil pollution offence; this is the highest fine for any offence in a magistrates court.

In 2000, following a wide-ranging review, the UK published a revised National Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution from Shipping and Offshore Installations", setting out how the relevant agencies and authorities in the UK will respond to such incidents. The UK has also created the role of the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP). On behalf of the Secretary of State, SOSREP has the power to oversee, control and—if necessary—intervene in salvage operations within UK waters involving vessels or fixed platforms where there is a significant risk of pollution. To reduce the risk of pollution of our seas and coasts, SOSREP can direct vessels which are in difficulties to a suitable place of refuge. The powers of direction invested in SOSREP are extensive, and are called into play when he believes that the public interest is not being adequately protected. The SOSREP role has proved very successful, as well as being an international first for the UK.

In 2000 the UK initiated action at the IMO to increase the limit of compensation under the 1992 CLC/Fund regime by a further 50 per cent. to £177 million, with effect from 1 November 2003.

In 2001, along with six other states, the UK pressed for a world-wide initiative to create a Supplementary Fund to the 1992 CLC/Fund to provide further substantial compensation for the most serious oil spills.

 
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The UK was one of the countries, which developed the Bunkers Convention 2001, which establishes a liability regime for pollution from ships' fuel oils.

The UK played a leading role in the EU and the IMO to secure international agreement to accelerate the phasing out of single hull oil tankers. Double hulls can provide additional protection against spillage in the event of collisions and groundings.

The UK played an active part in the work leading to the development of the EC Vessel traffic monitoring and information system Directive, which covers reporting requirements on ships with dangerous cargoes, the installation of Voyage Data Recorders on ships, the installation of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) on ships and the establishment of shore-based stations to receive AIS5 information; exchange of vessel traffic information; places of refuge; and measures for shore authorities to take in bad weather conditions. The UK implemented the Directive in national law in 2005.

The UK played a leading role in the IMO in achieving the designation of the Western European Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA), which includes a substantial proportion of the UK's seas and coasts. The PSSA came into effect on 1 July 2005. The protective measure for the PSSA is a mandatory reporting system. The reporting system applies to all tankers of more than 600 deadweight tonnes (dwt) carrying heavy grades of oil.

As regards further steps:

The Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill is currently going through Parliament which will enable the UK to ratify and implement the Supplementary Fund Protocol to the Fund Convention, thereby increasing the amount of compensation available for any one incident to some £621 million.

In addition, work on vessel routeing and traffic management measures has progressed to take account of wider developments in UK policy on the sustainable use of the marine environment, such as the growth in offshore renewable energy, the Government's commitment to introducing a Marine Bill, developments in thinking on marine spatial planning and advances in e-navigation technology. As part of this process, considerable work has gone into the identification of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas and an announcement will be made shortly.

Multi-modal Studies

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the schemes which arose as an outcome of multi-modal studies which have been awarded investment by his Department, broken down by (a) road construction and (b) public transport schemes and what (i) the amount awarded and (ii) the location of each scheme was in each case. [42712]

Dr. Ladyman: The Multi-Modal Studies were strategic transport studies which developed recommendations for implementation over the short, medium and longer term up to 2031. Many of the schemes recommended required further detailed development and appraisal work before being ready for implementation. In our responses to the Multi-Modal Studies we set out the way in which we wished to see the study recommendations taken forward by the relevant delivery agencies.

The schemes recommended by the Multi-Modal Studies which have reached the stage of programme entry or equivalent with agreed funding allocations are listed in the following tables. A number of other schemes are continuing to be prepared for a decision on programme entry by the respective delivery agencies.
 
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Highways agency trunk road schemes (targeted programme of improvements)

Multi-modal study	HA TPI scheme	Location	Latest budget cost (£ million)
Cambridge to Huntingdon	A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton Improvement	Cambridgeshire	490
Access to Hastings	A21 Tonbridge to Pembury	Kent	65
London to South Midlands	M1 Junction 6a to 10 Widening	Hertfordshire	289
London to South Midlands	M1 Junction 10 to 13 widening	Bedfordshire	382
A1 North of Newcastle	A1 Morpeth to Felton Dualling	Northumberland	84
A1 North of Newcastle	A1 Adderstone to Belford Dualling	Northumberland	14
Tyneside Area	A1/A19/A1068 Seaton Burn Junction Improvement	Tyneside	29
Tyneside Area	A19/A184 Testos Grade Separated Junction	Tyneside	21
London to South Midlands	A505 Dunstable Northern Bypass (A5 to M1 Link)	Bedfordshire	48
London to South Midlands	A421 Bedford to M1 Junction 13	Bedfordshire	171
London to South West and South Wales	A30 Garland Cross to Chiverton Cross	Cornwall	125
London to South West and South Wales	A30 Temple to Higher Carblake Improvement	Cornwall	41
North/South Movements in the East Midlands	M1 Junction 21 to 30 widening	Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire	1,915
Orbit (M25) -London Orbital Transport Solutions	M25 Junction 1B to 3 widening	Kent	66
Orbit (M25) -London Orbital Transport Solutions	M25 Junction 5 to 7 widening	Surrey and Kent	214
Orbit (M25) -London Orbital Transport Solutions	M25 Junction 16 to 23 widening	Hertfordshire and Berkshire	496
Orbit (M25) -London Orbital Transport Solutions	M25 Junction 23 to 27 widening .	Hertfordshire and Essex	419
Orbit (M25) -London Orbital Transport Solutions	M25 Junction 27 to 30 widening	Essex	402
A453 (M1 Junction 24 to Nottingham)	A453 Widening (M1 Junction 24 to A52 Nottingham)	Nottinghamshire	90
London to Ipswich	M25 Junction 28/A12 Brook Street Interchange	Essex	8
South Coast	M27 Junction 11 to 12 Climbing Lanes	Hampshire	27
South Coast	M27 Junction 3 to 4 Widening	Hampshire	52
South Coast	A27 Southerham to Beddingham Improvement	East Sussex	19
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 30 to Junction 31 Widening	Yorkshire	136
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 31 to 32 Widening	Yorkshire	20
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 32 to 34S Widening	Yorkshire	139
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 34N to 37 Widening	Yorkshire	246
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 37 to 39 Widening	Yorkshire	224
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 39 to 42 Widening	Yorkshire	202
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M1 Junction 31 to 32 Northbound Collector/Distributor	Yorkshire	29
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M62 Junction 25 to 27 Widening	Yorkshire	215
South and West Yorkshire MMS	M62 Junction 27 to 28 Widening	Yorkshire	83

Local transport major schemes (roads and public transport)

Multi-modal study	Scheme	Location	Estimated cost (£ million)
South Coast	Bexhill to Hastings Link Road	East Sussex	48.5
South East Manchester	A34 Alderley Edge Bypass	Cheshire	37.9
South East Manchester	South East Manchester Quality Bus Corridor	Greater Manchester	23
M60 Junction 18 to 12	JETTS Quality Bus Corridor	Greater Manchester	26.3
West Midlands Area	Red Routes (Metropolitan Area Wide)	West Midlands	28
Cambridge to Huntingdon	Cambridge Guided Busway	Cambridgeshire	65
South and West Yorkshire	A628 Cudworth Bypass	Barnsley	17.2
South and West Yorkshire	A57 M1 Junction 31 to Todwick Crossroads	Rotherham	6.3
Other local transport plan supplementary bids
Cambridge to Huntingdon	Traffic Calming of Villages close to proximity of A14	Cambridgeshire (various Villages)	(6)4
Access to Hastings, South Coast, Orbit (M25) and Thames Valley Studies	Local Transport Initiatives (these were smaller schemes from the outcome from the four Multi-Modal Studies undertaken in the South East region)	South East	3.7
London to Ipswich	Chelmsford Park and Ride Note: Park and Ride was recommended by the MMS in general terms	Chelsmford, Essex	(6)1.5
Norwich to Peterborough	Kings Lynn Bus Station Refurbishment and Improved integration with the railway station; creation of a high quality multi-modal interchange facility at Thetford Railway station, improved bus stop infrastructure in Downham market and pedestrian and cycling signing in market towns	Norfolk (Kings Lynn, Thetford, Downham Market and various Norfolk Market Towns)	(6)1,395
A453 MMS	Clifton/Silverdale Integrated Transport Measures	Nottingham	0.850

⁽⁶⁾ Supplementary LTP bid.




 
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Rail

Service and capacity improvements that have been implemented on the rail network have contributed
 
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to the delivery of a number of rail improvements recommended by the Multi Modal Studies. These include:

Study	Rail recommendations
West Midlands to North West Conurbation (MIDMAN) and London to South Midlands	West Coast Project
London to South Midlands	Construction of 12 car platforms on West Coast south of Northampton -with introduction of longer trains as demand require
London to South Midlands	More carrying capacity on Midland Mainline through new franchise and Route Utilisation Outputs
South Coast	Introduction of new Ashford—Brighton service from December
London to South West and South Wales	Capacity and bottleneck relief schemes at locations such as Probus Burngullow, Filton Junction
Thames Valley and London to South West and South Wales	Introduction of new timetables on Greater Western enhancing capacity, with further enhancements as a result of the new franchise

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