Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the emergency tug provision in the UK for lending assistance to ships carrying hazardous cargoes that become distressed.

Assessments were made on the provision of emergency tugs in the UK in preparation for the last Spending Review. As a result of this assessment, and in the context of other spending priorities, the Government funded Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) were withdrawn in September 2011. An ETV was subsequently reinstated for the waters off North and North West Scotland in the absence of commercial provision, and this vessel will be available until at least 31 March 2016.

Whenever a ship has required towage it has been able to secure the necessary services, irrespective of its cargo. In addition, there have not been any pollution incidences in UK waters where towage has not been available.