PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Shipping: Exhaust Emissions (3 February 2016)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24371, for what reasons there are no figures for the number of compliance checks the Maritime and Coastguard Agency carried out on vessels in the North Sea sulphur dioxide emission control area in 2015.

Asked by:
Karl Turner (Independent)

Further to my answer of 29 January, the data provided refers to the specific fuel sampling and testing regime put into place by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in order to support compliance activity relating to the use of low sulphur fuel by ships. This sampling activity started on 1 January 2016 in line with a Europe-wide decision.

This sampling is supplementary to the normal Port State Control activity that is performed by MCA Marine Surveyors, the scope of which includes consideration of compliance with air pollution requirements.

In 2015 the MCA carried out 1068 inspections under Port State Control which includes the examination of documentation related to compliance with the North Sea sulphur emissions control area.

Answered by:
Sir Robert Goodwill (Conservative)
8 February 2016