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Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 8 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 November 2005. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Monday, 21 November 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Fisheries

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents in the last year for which figures are available of (a) marine pollution and (b) coastal pollution have resulted in (i) court actions and (ii) fines; and what the (A) nature and (B) level of (i) conviction and (ii) financial penalty was in each case.
Answer

Information is not held in this form.The Department's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate carried out a prosecution on behalf of DEFRA in 2004 following deposits of dredged material into the sea without the required licence under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 for the deposit of substances and articles in the sea. One of the joint defendants was fined £40,000 and the other £20,000.The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of the Department for Transport have carried out one prosecution this year following dumping of garbage including sleeping bags, polystyrene and plastic bags into the sea under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1998. The defendant was fined £2,000.The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have carried out two prosecutions this year following breaches of the UK maritime pollution legislation. One defendant was fined £20,000 and £11,344 costs and the other defendant was fined £5,000 and £4,379.70 costs.The MCA sponsor the Advisory Committee for the Protection of the Sea to produce an annual survey of reported discharges attributed to vessels and offshore oil and gas installations. The report for 2004 records 10 successful prosecutions for oil pollution offences. Total fines imposed by the competent authorities which included ports and harbours amounted to £122,200, providing a mean value of £12,200.The Environment Agency (who have regulatory powers in coastal waters up to three miles offshore) have recorded 11 minor ““marine”” incidents in 2004 for which no formal enforcement action was taken.The Department of Trade and Industry carried out a prosecution this year following an unpermitted discharge of an offshore chemical under the Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002. The offshore platform operator was fined £3,000 in a Scottish Court.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
439 c1530W;439 c1534W; 27830
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Coastal areas Convictions Chemicals Fines Hazardous substances Oil Pollution Prosecutions Shipping Seas and oceans Waste
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk