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Firth of Forth: Nature Conservation Sites

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Alistair Darling) has made the following Ministerial Statement. I announced on 21 November that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency would co-ordinate a public consultation to assess the implications for relevant nature conservation sites in the Firth of Forth, of Forth Ports' revised and amplified oil spill contingency plan. The consultation has been launched today, and will last for a period of 12 weeks. The consultation package comprises the submitted oil spill contingency plan material and supporting information from Forth Ports and Scottish Natural Heritage. The consultation is limited to assessing the implications of the plan for the protected sites, in view of their conservation objectives, with a view to ascertaining whether the plan will adversely affect the integrity of the sites concerned. Details on how to take part in the consultation are available on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website (www.mcga.gov.uk).