Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)

Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Question reference: S6W-36000

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the (a) UK Government and (b) Maritime and Coastguard Agency regarding any environmental impact on Scotland of the recent collision in the North Sea between an oil tanker and a cargo ship.

The Scottish Government's Marine Directorate operates a 24hr on-call cadre of Spill Response Duty Officers (MD-DOs). The role coordinates the environmental and public health response to any pollution event, or potential pollution event, in Scottish marine waters. Duty Officers are contacted regularly about incidents in Scottish and wider UK waters through the circulation of POLREPS (Pollution Reports) and SITREPS (Situation Reports). On Monday 10 March 2025, The MD-DO was included in the circulation of a SITREP from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, detailing the initial circumstances of the allision between the vessels MV Solong and the MV Stena Immaculate. The MD-DO was informed at an early stage that there was little or no risk of pollution in or close to Scottish waters and that information was passed to Ministers. Further updates were circulated from the UK Government's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and also shared with Ministers. The final update was shared on 13 March 2025, when the incident had stabilised and the emergency response was well established.

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Question reference: S6W-36000

Answer