Commending the Emergency Services' Response to Beaufort's Dyke Unexploded Device

That the Parliament commends the joint efforts of Dumfries and Galloway Police Division, the Royal Navy and HM Coastguard following an incident in Portpatrick where a local scallop dredger picked up unexploded Second World War ordnance; understands that, following the explosive device coming into Portpatrick Harbour, the armed forces bomb disposal unit was contacted and safely carried out a controlled explosion of the device; notes that Beaufort’s Dyke, which is a 300 metre-deep, 3.5 kilometre-wide, 50 kilometre-long Second World War munitions and radioactive dump site, is situated in the Irish Sea between south west Scotland and Ireland, and that the Ministry of Defence estimates that over one million tonnes of surplus conventional and chemical weapons are contained within the trench; expresses concern regarding what it believes are the potential plans of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to build a bridge or tunnel connecting Scotland to Northern Ireland, particularly because of what it considers the very real danger presented by the Beaufort’s Dyke dump site; calls on the UK Government to publish plans on how it would deal with the dangers presented by the retained remaining ordnance and on whether or not the area would remain an active route for Royal Navy nuclear submarines if a bridge or tunnel were to be built; thanks Police Scotland, the Royal Navy and HM Coastguard for their swift action in dealing with the explosive device in Portpatrick, and wishes all well for the future.