Written question asked by Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 2 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 4 June 2008. It was answered by Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour) on Thursday, 12 June 2008 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Shipping: Freight

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport from what sources information on cargo lost at sea is obtained and collated by the Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea.

Answer: The Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) collates data on oil and chemical pollution including packages lost at sea in the UK pollution control zone. Most reports are gathered through MCA Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) in the form of pollution reports (POLREPs). Those reports are collated into a database.In addition to reports received by the MRCCs, ACOPS also receives information from local authorities, ports and harbours and the UK environmental regulators.From this data, ACOPs produces an annual report on behalf of the MCA. These annual reports are published on the MCA website.Every 10 years, ACOPS reviews all reports of packaged and dangerous goods in order to examine trends of lost cargo over time. The International Maritime Organisation is consulted in respect of the review of such trends.

Secondary information