Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999

3 Prevention etc. of pollution after accidents involving offshore installations

(1) The Secretary of State may, in relation to offshore installations, by regulations make provision which, subject to any modifications that he considers appropriate, corresponds or is similar to any provision made by, or capable of being made under, sections 137 to 140 of the [1995 c. 21] Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (powers to prevent and reduce pollution, and the risk of pollution, by oil or other substances following an accident) in relation to ships.

(2) In this section—

• “offshore installation” means any structure or other thing (but not a ship) in or under—

  (a)

  United Kingdom territorial waters, or

  (b)

  any waters mentioned in section 7(9)(b) or (c),

  which is used for the purposes of, or in connection with, the exploration, development or production of petroleum;

• “petroleum” has the meaning given by section 1 of the [1998 c. 17.] Petroleum Act 1998;

• “ship” has the same meaning as in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

(3) Regulations under this section may—

(a) contain such consequential, incidental, supplementary, transitional or saving provisions as the Secretary of State considers appropriate; and

(b) make different provision for different cases, including different provision in relation to different persons, circumstances, areas or localities.

(4) Before making any regulations under this section, the Secretary of State shall consult—

(a) the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland;

(b) such bodies or persons appearing to him to be representative of the interests of owners or operators of offshore installations as he may consider appropriate; and

(c) such other bodies or persons as he may consider appropriate.

(5) The power to make regulations under this section shall be exercised by statutory instrument.

(6) No regulations shall be made under this section (whether alone or with other regulations) unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.