Following on from last yesterdays oil leak, here another answer to a question from Mark Ruskell MSP. This one does a better job of answering the question and would appear to provide a new revaluation that the SG has not been invite to be involved in the review of the STS regs that has apparently just been undertaken by the UK Department of Transport. If this is true, and following on the recent agreements between Marine Scotland and the MCA then this would be a staggering oversight by the UK government. However, given that Marine Scotland still deny being consulted over the CFPA STS application, we would be inclined to take this with a pinch of salt until further investigations are undertaken. It will be interesting to see what is contained in the review – could this be why the CFPA are holding off making their new application?
Question S5W-06774: Mark Ruskell, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 01/02/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the Secretary of State for Transport regarding a review of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfers) Regulations 2010, as required by Regulation 2 of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (23/02/2017): The Scottish Government has only recently been made aware of a review and quite astonishingly has not been invited to make any representations regarding a review of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010, as amended. It is understood that the UK Department for Transport has undertaken a minor review to consider the cost, safety and impact on the environment of ship to ship oil transfers, and whether the regulations were meeting their proposed intention. The UK Department for Transport has now informed the Scottish Government they will publish their findings in March. In response Scottish Ministers have written to the Department of Transport requesting that the Scottish Government is consulted on the review before the findings are published. To do otherwise would be to deny the elected Government of Scotland, and Scotland’s Parliament, which is responsible for our marine environment, a say on an issue of importance to our environment and Scotland’s people.
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 23/02/2017
