To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial assistance has been offered to the RSPCA for decontamination of oiled sea birds following the dumping of oil off the Yorkshire coastline in September. [38494]

My Department's scientific advisers, English Nature, worked closely with the RSPCA in monitoring the effects of this off-shore oil slick. No financial assistance was provided to decontaminate oiled sea birds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has of the (a) species and (b) numbers of each species involved as sea bird victims in the Yorkshire coastline oil slick of September. [38495]

My Department's scientific advisers, English Nature, advise that between 21 and 26 September the numbers of sea birds recovered were as follows.

1138 Guillemot, 98 Razorbill, 12 Puffin and 4 other birds were recovered alive; 201 Guillemot, 29 Razorbill and 2 other birds were recovered dead.