Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the (a) number of unexploded military devices in the Irish Sea and (b) risk such devices pose to coastal areas.

Ministry of Defence (MOD) assessment of historic sea dumped munitions in the British Isles has been placed in the public domain and may be accessed via the following link:

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121203135425/http:/www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/HealthandSafetyPublications/DSEA/DisposalOfMunitionsAtSea.htm

The MOD (in conjunction with the Department for Transport) continues to operate a programme which routinely surveys the UK's busiest waters to ensure both port security and safety from historic ordnance. These surveys focus on the main channels used by commercial shipping, both within the ports and on approach routes including, in the case of the Clyde, the channels used by our vessels.

Throughout the UK, any ordnance discovered ashore or at sea is a police or coastguard matter but is automatically referred to the MOD who hold Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units on standby to offer initial safety advice then attend and render safe the ordnance. There are well established maritime procedures to ensure any hazards and associated activities are promulgated to shipping and where necessary exclusion zones established and enforced, ensuring that when ordnance is occasionally discovered, it remains undisturbed until rendered safe by an assigned EOD unit.