1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 4 2 Legal Basis .................................................................................................................... 4 3 Areas Covered ............................................................................................................... 5 4 Reviewing the National Contingency Plan.................................................................... 7 5 Exercising ...................................................................................................................... 7 6 Government Departments .............................................................................................. 8 6.1 The Department for Transport ....................................................................................... 9 6.2 The Maritime and Coastguard Agency.......................................................................... 9 6.3 The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ...................................................... 9 6.4 Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning .................... 10 6.5 Secretary of State's Representative (SOSREP) ........................................................... 10 6.6 Role of the Devolved Administrations ........................................................................ 10 6.6.1 Scotland ....................................................................................................................... 11 6.6.2 Wales ........................................................................................................................... 11 6.6.3 Northern Ireland .......................................................................................................... 11 6.7 Cross Border Working ................................................................................................. 12 7 Ports and Harbours ...................................................................................................... 12 8 Oil and Gas Operators ................................................................................................. 13 9 Overall Incident Management ..................................................................................... 13 9.1 Heads of Cells.............................................................................................................. 14 9.2 Responsibility for Pollution Response ........................................................................ 18 9.3 Liaison Officers ........................................................................................................... 19 9.4 Theatres of a Response ................................................................................................ 20 9.5 Salvage and Containment ............................................................................................ 21 9.5.1 Access to the Casualty Vessel / Offshore Installation ................................................. 22 9.5.2 Places of Refuge .......................................................................................................... 22 9.5.3 Harbour Master and the SOSREP Co-operation ......................................................... 23 9.5.4 Potential Pollution Offences and Defences (Ports and Harbours and Salvors) ........... 24 9.6 At sea response and recovery ...................................................................................... 25 9.6.1 National Assets, Resources and Response Options ..................................................... 25 9.7 Shoreline Response ..................................................................................................... 26 9.7.1 Strategic Co-ordinating Group (SCG) ......................................................................... 26 9.7.2 Tactical Co-ordinating Group (TCG) .......................................................................... 27 9.7.3 Response Co-ordinating Group (ResCG) – England Only .......................................... 27 9.7.4 Recovery Co-ordinating Group ................................................................................... 27 9.7.5 Contracted Shoreline Clean-Up ................................................................................... 28 9.7.6 Scotland ....................................................................................................................... 28 9.7.7 Northern Ireland .......................................................................................................... 28 9.7.8 Scientific and Technical Advice Cell .......................................................................... 29 9.8 Environment Group ..................................................................................................... 29 9.9 Other Organisations ..................................................................................................... 30 9.10 Waste Management ..................................................................................................... 30 9.11 Wildlife Response ....................................................................................................... 31 9.12 Unattributed Marine Pollution ..................................................................................... 32 9.13 SITREPs ...................................................................................................................... 32 9.14 Ministerial Briefings .................................................................................................... 33 10 Media ........................................................................................................................... 33 10.1 MCA Crisis Media Team ............................................................................................ 34