Part 13: Offshore Wind Electricity Generation, Oil and Gas Chapter 2: Oil and Gas Section 296: Arrangements for responding to marine oil pollution
This section allows the Secretary of State to make regulations related to oil pollution emergency planning, response, and inspection for offshore oil and gas operations, offshore CO2 storage activities and offshore hydrogen production and storage works. Subsection (2) states, in more detail, what type of operation or infrastructure will be captured by the regulation making powers. Subsection (3) sets out that regulations may make provision about the implementation, maintenance, and review of an emergency plan. Subsection (4) specifies how the subsection (1) power may be used to cover the reporting of incidents. Subsection (5) provides inspection powers. Subsection (6) makes further supplemental provision about the type of matters that may be covered by the regulation making power, which includes the following:
New or amended definitions, to account for new activities (such as hydrogen production and storage),
Delegation of functions,
The charging of any fees associated with regulatory functions,
The keeping of information, and
The creation of criminal offences or civil penalties in relation to contraventions of the regulations.
	This section also sets out the maximum penalties associated with any criminal offence, as well as maximum civil penalties that could be issued.