ECGD AND THE WESTERN GREY WHALE

Early day motion 778, tabled 4 March 2004 by Sue Doughty (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 47 members.

That this House notes the application for support currently under consideration by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) for the Sakhalin II phase 2 gas and oil project on Russia's ecologically sensitive Sakhalin Island; further notes that the project involves the construction of two offshore production platforms, an onshore processing facility, on and offshore pipelines, a LNG plant and an export terminal; hopes that the ECGD will reject the application if the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company cannot convincingly guarantee that the mitigation measures it has proposed will protect from extinction the critically endangered Western Grey Whale, whose population numbers as few as 100 individuals and whose summer feeding grounds are restricted to the shallow water around the coast of the island.

Signatures by party: Labour 27, Liberal Democrat 13, Conservative 3, Labour/Co-operative 2, Plaid Cymru 2.