The warning, revealed in a letter published following a Freedom of Information request,
came after the UK Government asked the oil giant to provide emergency cover for the
Minch shipping channel – despite BP not using the route.
BP warned David Mundell that
covering the Minch from their base of operations would mean 16-
The UK Government has consistently ignored
safety warnings that separate ETVs are required for the Northern and Western Isles.
SNP
MSP Alasdair Allan commented: “The UK Government accepts that the waters around northern
Scotland are of such economic and environmental importance that they require a publicly-
“BP’s response was to privately warn
David Mundell, some five years ago, that a vessel based in the Northern Isles simply
couldn’t service the Western Isles safely – and to point out that BP didn’t even
use the shipping route they’d been asked to serve.
“When a 17,000 tonne oil rig ran
aground on Lewis this summer it took 18 hours for the nearest ETV to be scrambled.
"This is exactly what BP told David Mundell would be unacceptable. Scotland’s islands
deserve better protection from maritime accidents than an emergency response that
takes almost a full day to arrive.
“The austerity obsessed Tories have put cost-
UK government warned over tug safety five years before accident
21 October 2016
The UK Government were warned the Western Isles required a dedicated emergency towing
vessel (ETV) -