Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords]

I should like to respond to a couple of the points that have been made. The Minister rightly says that successful cases are published. My noble Friend Lord Bradshaw quoted some statistics when speaking in the other place to show that there were about 500 instances of pollution from ships in UK waters last year, yet only 10 of them went to court. Obviously, we are dealing with a new issue—airborne emissions, which have not been subject to controls previously. I will happily withdraw the motion, following the Minister’s assurance, but in proposing the new clause, I was seeking to ensure that there would be some measurement of the extent of pollution and the number of pollution cases that were successfully brought to a conclusion. With regard to amendment No. 5, the National Environment Protection Council at its 53rd session in July last year agreed that there would be a review of the nitrogen oxide technical code of annex VI, with a view to taking account of revisions and improvements in technology, further to reduce emissions from ships, including particulate matter, and to look at extending emission controls to ships adopting fuels alternative to diesel. That will result in a report in 2007, and as the Minister says that he already has the enabling legislation to let a revision be adopted after that report, I am happy to beg to ask leave to withdraw the motion. Motion and clause, by leave, withdrawn.