Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will ban the discharge of wash water from open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems within UK territorial waters.

The UK is committed to reducing the impact of shipping on the environment. In April, we cosponsored a proposal at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to create a new Emission Control Area. This will reduce pollutants across all UK waters.

The use of exhaust gas cleaning systems is regulated by the IMO, where the UK has an evidence led approach to their use as a compliance mechanism. We will be assessing the impact of discharges from open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems in UK waters as part of our ongoing consideration of the environmental impacts of shipping.