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Written question asked by Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour) on Monday, 16 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 March 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Thursday, 19 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Oil: Poole Harbour

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the £6 million payout from Perenco for the oil spill in Poole Harbour is adequate to offset environmental harm.

Answer

The £6 million figure covers the pollution cleanup, compensation for verified claims, collaboration with the relevant authorities to develop and implement a remediation plan, and funding for local environmental improvement projects in the Poole Harbour area.

It does not include lost income while the pipeline was out of operation, nor the additional upgrades made on-site to reduce the risk of a similar incident in the future.

An Enforcement Undertaking (EU) undergoes a rigorous review at both local and national levels within the Environment Agency to ensure it complies with policy, is applied consistently across the country, and accurately reflects the seriousness of the pollution and the operator’s level of responsibility.

Here are the Impact Reports published following oil spill by Poole Harbour Commissioners.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
121240
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Compensation Oil Pollution Poole Harbour Perenco
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk