← Back to House of Commons Debates
Oil Spill: Poole Harbour
27 March 2023
Lead MP
Rebecca Pow
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
EnergyEnvironment
Other Contributors: 12
At a Glance
Rebecca Pow raised concerns about oil spill: poole harbour in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
At 8 o'clock on Sunday 26 March, the Poole harbour commissioners declared a major incident following an oil spillage of approximately 200 barrels into Poole harbour in Dorset. The spill is understood to be of a product that is 80% saline solution and 20% crude oil, caused by a fault with a land-based pipeline operated by Perenco Oil and Gas. The pipe has since been shut off and depressurised to prevent further contamination, and booms have been deployed to contain the spill. Investigations are under way to determine the reason for the fault and to prevent similar incidents from occurring. This incident is designated as a tier 2 event; escalation to tier 1 would involve the Maritime and Coastguard Agency leading the response. The Poole harbour commissioners lead the response, with specialist oil spill companies assisting. A strategic co-ordination group has been convened by the Dorset local resilience forum to coordinate efforts involving the harbour commissioners, MCA, Environment Agency, and Natural England. Focus remains on assessing environmental implications and continuing clean-up operations.
Richard Drax
Con
South Dorset
Question
The MP expresses concern about the impact of this incident on Poole harbour’s sensitive environment, both land and marine. He highlights that a thin sheen of oil escaped despite containment efforts and some birds were affected. He requests assurance from the regulator for a thorough investigation into why the leak occurred, and asks Perenco to ensure proper maintenance and checks across its network.
Minister reply
The Minister assures that a full investigation is under way to identify the exact cause and location of the leak, and she will closely follow it to inform future regulation and protocols. The pipeline has been shut off and depressurised.
Ruth Jones
Lab
Newport West and Islwyn
Question
The MP requests a thorough and speedy investigation with lessons published quickly, highlighting worries of local people and businesses affected by the incident. She asks about work being undertaken by the Department and Environment Agency to address impacts on local population and environment, support for small businesses relying on harbour trade, manpower availability for agencies involved in addressing the incident, contingency plan status and review details.
Minister reply
The Minister assures thorough investigation with relevant bodies contributing their input. The harbour remains open, ferry services continue, and beaches are accessible though recreational use of water is discouraged until further notice.
Robert Syms
Con
Poole
Question
I fully support my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset in the comments he has made. The harbour commissioners have, of course, planned for this sort of thing over the years and are constantly updating their plans. The latest information is that 60% to 70% of the oil that was on the surface yesterday has been reduced, so we are well on top of the situation.
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for the work he has been doing on this. He is right to say that it is about giving assurances, which is why it is critical that this investigation is undertaken fully and in all the right ways. As he says, the oilfield has been worked since 1979 and this is the first such incident that has occurred, but it must be dealt with extremely seriously.
Rachael Maskell
Lab Co-op
York Central
Question
Poole harbour, from the Arne bird sanctuary through to Brownsea island, is nature-rich. Bearing that in mind, and in light of the age of the infrastructure, can the Minister say when it was last examined for safety compliance to avoid such incidents occurring?
Minister reply
I agree that it is a wonderful and sensitive wildlife site, famous for its incredible birds, including terns, avocets and even gulls, as well as its red squirrels on Brownsea island. A full regime to check pipework and so forth is run through the regulator, but all the records, including the maintenance records, will be looked at in the investigation.
Simon Hoare
Con
North Dorset
Question
Tourism is an important part of the county’s economy, and public confidence in using water for recreational purposes is pivotal to that offer, allowing people to visit the countryside in North Dorset and elsewhere in the county. Will my hon. Friend say what further work the agencies will be doing to monitor sea bathing quality, and what her Department and the Tourism Minister can do with Dorset Council and others to ensure that the message that Dorset is safe to swim in and visit is seen across the country?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right to mention Dorset’s phenomenal tourism offer, both for people from this country and abroad. That is why the investigation and the messaging are so important, and the public must adhere to the UK Health Security Agency guidance.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Question
I thank the Minister for her diligent approach to responding to this troubling occurrence, and I congratulate the hon. Member for South Dorset on bringing it to the House’s attention. Does she agree that not only is there an ecological price to pay for this spillage but, as has been mentioned, there will be an impact on the potential bathing water status of Poole harbour? Will she reflect on the fact that, last year, only 10% of applications for bathing water status for our rivers, lakes and coastal areas were accepted?
Minister reply
Unlike the hon. Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones), who stuck to the subject of this important urgent question, the hon. Gentleman asks a question that is somewhat irrelevant. Well over 70% of our bathing water is excellent, and more than 90% is rated good or excellent.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
As a number of Members have said, not least my hon. Friend the Member for South Dorset, the Dorset coast forms part of an incredibly fragile ecosystem across much of the south coast. Part of its fragility and uniqueness is because it is fed by a network of chalk streams—80% of the world’s chalk streams are in our part of the world. In January, the River Anton, which flows through my constituency, saw a not dissimilar spill of 30,000 litres of oil.
Minister reply
An investigation is important for gathering the correct information. We also need to be careful about spreading fear about what exactly a pollutant might be. That is why there must be an investigation, and why the exact make-up of a pollutant needs to be fully known.
Kerry McCarthy
Lab
Bristol East
Question
While cleaning up the incident is the priority, what lessons can the Government learn about the wisdom of allowing future drilling on environmentally important sites, such as the Rosebank site, which goes through a marine protected area? We need to learn lessons from such incidents. Will the Minister assure me that she will speak to her colleagues?
Minister reply
I would be the first Minister to say that we need assurances on looking after our wonderful environmentally sensitive sites. This oilfield has been working since 1979, and I understand it is the largest onshore oilfield in Europe.
Question
Poole harbour is a haven for wildlife and is home to rare species, so this spill is incredibly saddening. The Minister says she wants to ensure the disaster is not repeated, but she must know that where there is drilling, there is some spilling. There have been a staggering 721 oil spills in the North sea alone over the past three years.
Minister reply
It is all about balance—it is important that we protect our natural environment, particularly in areas as precious as Poole Harbour, because that is as important to our economy as the oil—and ensuring that the investigation is correctly carried out as swiftly as possible.
Question
I was a little surprised that the Minister could not answer the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for York Central about who is responsible for regulating the facility—perhaps she has the answer on a piece of paper—and when it was last inspected.
Minister reply
I did say that all the maintenance records and dates will be assessed. If the right hon. Gentleman wants me to write to him when we know the exact detail, I assure him that I will do so.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Minister very much for her diligence and clear commitment to address the oil spill at Poole. When we had a spill in one of our local rivers back home, environmental work was carried out immediately with local conservation bodies to replenish the wildlife.
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising the importance of the environment and conservation of the area. In addition to the investigation that is under way, Natural England has already set up a standing environment group.
Shadow Comment
Richard Drax
Shadow Comment
This unfortunate incident has occurred in a fragile ecosystem of Poole harbour, potentially catastrophic for wildlife and local communities. Perenco estimates nearly 5,000 litres of fluid leaked from an underground pipeline located in a marshy area south of the harbour. A large clean-up operation is ongoing with helicopters, drones, vessel patrols, and onshore teams. The MP urges a full investigation by regulators to identify the cause and ensure repairs are carried out to high standards. He seeks assurances that Perenco's network will be properly maintained.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.