Now that planning permission has gone unchallenged, what are the government agencies involved going to do about pollution from the cruise ships that will be docked there from 2017? One consultant claims those ships will produce the same amount of emissions as 688 HGVs with their engines running. Though the GLA are at pains to explain that their chimney-stacks will be high up, some of it has to come down. Who will be measuring it? And what practical steps are being taken to mitigate its effects? Two recordings from Parliament TV suggest the answers are ‘don’t know’ and ‘not a lot’. Click on the picture below (from 15.32) and you'll see that Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State for DEFRA (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) talks a lot about ‘modeling’ and not much else. Eventually an exasperated Chair, Neil Parish, explains that modeling can only tell you pollution has got worst, not reduce it, asking why developers can’t introduce ship-to-shore-power. She witters on about modelling some more, as if it were an end in itself, then passes the buck to the Mayor of London. Fine you may think. Over to Boris. But watch the recording (from 14.40) from last week's Select committee and you’ll see his deputy do the same! http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/64d60445-eb39-4735-b44b-52d9a1dbbd13 Acknowledging that 9,500 people die from pollution in London every year, Deputy Mayor for Environment & Energy, Matthew Pencharz, starts by admitting that the Mayor didn't have the power to turn down planning permission for the terminal because it had already been granted. Legally his hands were tied. But when Chair, Neil Parish, asks “What is the GLA going to do about it? Are you being proactive?" he replies that the Royal Borough of Greenwich made the decision, flagging up the money that will be made from tourism and jobs. Ergo it's their responsibility! Another buck pass! At this Neil Parish takes the argument to an irrefutable conclusion. If there's so much money to be made then "surely there's no problem getting electricity out to these ships!" We couldn't agree more. Trouble is no one seems to be taking responsibility, and not one department is taking action. Are there too many bodies involved? DEFRA (Ms Truss admits they're not taking the lead and blames the GLA) , the Royal Borough of Greenwich (whose leader led the planning committee, which in itself should be illegal ), the GLA (who blame Greenwich), The Marine Coastguard Agency (who are more about saving people's lives on the sea), The Port of London Authority (who are more about navigational safety). Who is taking the lead? Who will decide what happens to the £400,000 set aside to mitigate pollution? Isn't that a drop in the ocean? After all, if Enderby Terminal causes one premature death, after the £400,000 goes on compensation, who coughs up the money for the rest? The developers? None of the councilors who voted for planning permission lives on or near the river. Yet they've blighted the health and safety of ordinary people who do, especially those that live on the other side of the river in Tower Hamlets. Who ultimately is going to step in and protect people who live nearby?