To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the comments received in response to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s consultation on oil spill contingency plans covering ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth were categorised as not relevant; what proportion of such comments related to the effects of oil spill plan amendments in combination with effects of the proposed transfers; whether these comments will be made available to Forth Ports to assist them in assessing the transfer proposals under regulation 3 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc) Regulations 1994; and whether these comments will be published. (86736)

This information was placed on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website on the 14 July 2006 in the form of a Responses Consultation Table and a Summary Analysis of Consultee Responses. The website address for these documents is: http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-guidance-requlation/mcga-consultations/mcga-current_consultations/mcga-consultations-sts_forth/mcga-consultations-sts_outcome.htm

All comments relevant to the consultation process have been included in these documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to report to him following its consultation on (a) the implications for European wildlife sites of the proposed changes to Forth Ports oil contingency plans and (b) the other documents on which comment was invited in connection with ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth; and what mechanism is proposed for making the findings public. (86737)

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced on 14 July 2006 its intention to approve the Oil Spill Contingency Plan covering Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfers in the Firth of Forth submitted by the harbour authority, and the harbour authority’s proposed amendments to the overarching Clearwater Forth contingency plan, subject to a number of specified changes being made.

Concurrent with this announcement documents were placed on the MCA website. These included an assessment of the implications of the Firth of Forth STS transfer Oil Spill Contingency Plan in conjunction with the Clearwater Forth Plan for designated nature conservation sites, a summary analysis of consultee comments, a consultee table and a copy of the letter sent to the harbour authority (Forth Ports) in which the specified changes were set out. The website address for these documents is: http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4 mca/mcga-guidance-regulation/mcga-consultations/mcga-current_consultations/mcga-consultations-sts_ forth/mcga-consultations-sts_outcome.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses have been made by (a) statutory bodies, (b) non-governmental and community organisations and (c) private individuals to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s consultation on ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth. (86738)

This information was placed on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website on the 14 July 2006 in the form of a Responses Consultation Table and a Summary Analysis of Consultee Responses. The website address for these documents is: http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-quidance-requlation/mcga-consultations/mcga-current_ consultations/mcga-consultations-sts_forth/mcga-consultations-sts_out come.htm