Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords]

Annex VI of the MARPOL convention extends pollution control of shipping to include air pollution for the first time. Although it is admitted that pollution from ships is small compared to other sources—with 4 per cent. of sulphur dioxide emissions and 7 per cent. of nitrogen oxide emissions—it nevertheless has a significant effect on our environment. Aside from the Malacca straits, the waters around the UK are the busiest in the world. It is predicted that by 2020, the size of the merchant fleet will have doubled and the size of ships is steadily increasing. It is also estimated that the provisions contained in the annex will save £3 million a year in damage to buildings and structures from SO2 emissions, and the reduction in ozone emissions will result in 20 fewer deaths and savings of £26 million a year. I am pleased, therefore, to see in the draft copies of the secondary legislation that have been placed in the Library the adoption of the North sea as an SO2 emission control area. That will involve more stringent controls on sulphur emissions, with a reduction to 1.5 per cent., compared to 4.5 per cent. in other areas. Those controls were discussed and agreed by the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its 53rd session in July 2005. Given past concerns on pollution in the North sea, and the fact that air pollution knows no boundaries, I am pleased to see those limits adopted. Some 23 states have already adopted the annex and I hope that more will do so. All UK ships have to have an international air pollution prevention certificate and other ships in UK waters that have adopted the annex must also have one. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that there is an annual reporting mechanism for breaches of the convention and action is taken. I know that concerns have been expressed in previous debates about flagships that have not adopted the annex, and while I appreciate that we cannot control those breaches, we need to ensure that appropriate action is taken against all ships that have signed up to the agreement but do not meet its controls. The new clause seeks to introduce a regular reporting mechanism so that Members can see what progress is being made in what is a first for shipping—the introduction of controls on air pollution.