GOVERNMENT HANDLING OF GHOST FLEET A COMPLETE FARCE - HUHNE

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Oct 2006

Hartlepool Councillors have rejected plans to scrap former US naval vessels at a Teesside yard more than two years after a report from the Environment Agency on the Government's handling of these 'ghost-ships'.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"Britain should not become a dumping ground for American rubbish. If these ships were scrapped in Britain, the polluter certainly wouldn't be paying.

"This decision is only needed as a result of the Government's complete incompetence in handling the ghost ships row. Ministers should have taken action before the ships even set sail. Several opportunities to stop them entering British waters were missed. The Department for Transport could have sent them back, but chose to do absolutely nothing.

"There should be an internationally accepted principle that developed countries deal with their own waste."