New Clause 1 - Supplementary fund protocol: annual report on ratification
Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Julian Brazier (Shadow Minister, Transport; Canterbury, Conservative)
I am grateful for the Minister’s intervention. He can correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that Malta is still on the first tier; we are talking about ratifying the third tier. What about the second tier, which we ratified a long time ago? I am happy to give way to the Minister again if I am mistaken on that point.
Malta has a relatively small register compared to that of Liberia or of Panama, but the practical point is that all EU members should by now have signed up for the second tier and should be considering signing the third tier, the supplementary fund protocol to which has been referred.
I have probably said as much as there is to say on the issue. This worthwhile Bill sets up a framework that will ensure that more money is available for larger spills. It will cover the concern of hon. Members on both sides of the House of Commons to ensure that the problems are addressed in a more timely fashion. It seems extraordinary, however, that so little is being done to pick up the freeloaders who are most likely to cause the problems in the first place, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister plans to do about it.