To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 4 December, Official Report, column 106, whether he has submitted any further applications to the Oslo commission for licences to dump industrial waste in the North sea.

Two further sets of information have been sent to the Oslo commission about proposals to issue sea dumping licences for the following wastes:

Material	Tonnage
Fine Organic	8,000
Wash water from the synthesis of antibiotic and anti-ulcer medicines
Tate and Lyle Sugars	30,000
Chalk solution from sugar refining

Dumping of these two wastes at sea will cease as soon as alternative means of disposal are in place. The companies are working to tight timetables and dumping should end within a year.