Bill would give ministers power to veto proposals

Controversial plans to pump millions of tonnes of oil between ships around the UK coast could be prevented by a new law being proposed by a Scottish MP.

This week, Mark Lazarowicz, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, will launch a private member's bill aimed at plugging the loophole which has enabled ship-to-ship oil transfers to escape independent regulation.

His bill will introduce a new set of government controls over the transfers, enabling ministers to call in and veto schemes that endanger wildlife or local communities. It stands a good chance of becoming law because Lazarowicz is high up the ballot for private members' legislation, which means his bill will get more debating time at Westminster.

The move has been prompted by alarm at plans to transfer up to eight million tonnes a year of Russian crude oil between tankers in the Firth of Forth. But the new bill will also cover similar operations being proposed at Nigg Bay in the Moray Firth, as well as at Falmouth in Cornwall and Southwold in Suffolk.

"Many people around the Forth and beyond are extremely worried about the prospects of the transfer of oil offshore, with little or no control over the process," Lazarowicz told the Sunday Herald.

"It is essential that there are proper regulations, enforced by an independent authority, to control, monitor and, if necessary, prohibit such transfers. We cannot afford to take any risks with our precious marine environment."

The danger of an oil spill had rightly concerned communities in Lothian and Fife, Lazarowicz argued. "There are many other offshore areas around our coast which could be at similar risk," he said. "We need strict controls so such transfers will only be allowed in areas and under conditions where we can be absolutely sure it is safe to do so."

In the Forth, the multinational oil company Skaugen PetroTrans (SPT) wants to transfer Russian crude from the Baltic to large ocean-going tankers at an anchorage four miles off the Fife coast. The plan is being assessed by the harbour authority, Forth Ports, which stands to make millions of pounds from licensing the transfers.

In June, the Scottish parliament gave ministers new powers to control potentially damaging developments in sites where wildlife is protected under European law, but this leaves the environment outside designated areas at risk.

Lazarowicz's bill aims to restrict oil transfers to statutory harbour areas and give UK ministers more powers to control the transfers in those areas. He is being backed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which has opposed the proposed Forth transfers.

"The Firth of Forth is a stunning habitat that's home to large numbers of breeding seabirds and other marine wildlife," said Lloyd Austin, head of conservation policy at RSPB Scotland.

"However, the fact it's threatened by the prospect of allowing ship-to-ship oil transfers shows the coastline all around the UK is not adequately protected. This kind of operation is fine if it's in the right place, for example at Scapa Flow in Orkney where the infrastructure and pollution prevention expertise exists to carry out such operations safely."

According to Austin, the Scottish parliament's move alone is not enough. He said: "What's needed is Westminster legislation to ensure the whole marine environment is protected, and we hope that this bill gets the wide cross-party support that it deserves."

Despite all the opposition, the Forth oil transfer plan has not been dropped. "We are very keen to achieve a consensus with the government on this important issue," said a Forth Ports spokesman. "We expect to be able to announce the conclusions of our environmental impact assessment in the very near future."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: "Forth Ports has not yet taken a decision on whether or not to approve the proposals. We understand that its appropriate assessment is ongoing and we continue to monitor progress."