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Shipping Safety
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to delegate to classification societies (a) hull and machinery surveys on ferries and (b) any other inspections currently carried out by the Marine Safety Agency. [19296]
Mr. Norris: Regulations to allow the delegation of hull and machinery surveys on passenger ships are expected to be laid before Parliament shortly. These will not include delegation of hull and machinery surveys for roll-on roll-off ferries which will continue to be conducted by surveyors from the Marine Safety Agency. Pending the completion of work on ferry safety currently being undertaken in the International Maritime Organisation following the loss of the Estonia, it has been decided not to delegate these surveys to the originally planned timescale. There are no plans to delegate inspections currently carried out by the Marine Safety Agency.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ships, excluding ferries, have been prevented from sailing by the Marine Safety Agency because they have not met safety standards over the last two years; which flags they were sailing under; and in which respects they failed to meet the standards. [19298]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 25 April 1995 :
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of foreign flagged ships, excluding ferries, which have been prevented from sailing by the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) over the last two years.
Between January and December 1993 the Surveyor General's Organisation (as the MSA then was) detained 174 foreign flagged ships. Over the same period in 1994, the MSA detained 224 vessels. The ships were registered with the following states.
Flag state
Antilles Netherlands
Antigua and Barbuda
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AzerbaijanBahamas
Belize
Bulgaria
Union of Myanmar
People's Republic of China
Cyprus
Denmark
France
Germany
Greece
Guinea-Bissau
Honduras
Iceland
India
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Spain
St. Vincent and Grenadines
Sweden
Syria
Taiwan
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
Vanuatu
Venezuela
In general, vessels were detained for failure to meet the standards for life saving, fire detection and fire fighting equipment, contravention of the load line provisions, deficiencies in radio installation, navigational equipment and the ship's structure. Detention was also imposed for failure to meet manning requirements and poor operational procedures. A summary of the defects which led to the detention of a ship can be found in the list of ships under detention in UK ports which has been published by the MSA each month since June 1994.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ferries have been prevented from sailing by the Marine Safety Agency because they have not met safety standards over the last two years; which flags they were flying under; and in which respects they failed to meet the standards. [19299]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 25 April 1995:
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The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of ferries prevented from sailing by the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) over the last two years.One ferry has been detained by the MSA in the last two years. In October 1994, during the inspection campaign conducted by the MSA after the loss of the ESTONIA, the Danish registered WINSTON CHURCHILL was detained when her stern door was found to be leaking after a hose test, due to failure of the rubber seal.
Marine Safety Agency
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the budget of the Marine Safety Agency for the last two years; and what are the estimated budgets for this year and the next two years. [19300]
Mr. Norris: The gross budgets for the Marine Safety Agency for the financial years 1993 94 to 1997 98 are as follows:
|£ million
------------------------------
1993-94 |<1>28.5
1994-95 |31.7
1995-96 |30.8
1996-97 |30.0
1997-98 |30.0
<1> The Marine Safety Agency
was not launched until 1
April 1994. The figure given
for 1993-94 relates to the
part of the Department of
Transport which preceded the
agency.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what controls the Marine Safety Agency has over ships sailing in British waters which do not dock in British ports. [19301]
Mr. Norris: International law limits the right of coastal states to interfere with foreign-flagged ships exercising the right of innocent passage through territorial waters or transit passage through straits used in international navigation. Only if the ship has been involved in an accident or poses a threat of pollution or threatens the peace or security of the coastal state can the coastal state intervene.
The position of foreign-flagged ships anchored or operating in territorial waters, and not on innocent or transit passage, is different, and Lord Donaldson's report, "Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas", recommended that we should extend our powers in respect of such ships to the maximum extent allowed under international law. The Department will shortly issue a consultation paper on how this can be achieved. The consultation paper will take account of changes stemming from the recent adoption of an EC directive on port state control which provides for the inspection and, if appropriate, detention of foreign-flagged vessels anchored near a port or offshore installation.
Ferries (Evacuation Procedures)
Mr. Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State how many ferries operating out of British ports do not have facilities for 100 per cent. dry shod evacuation. [19302]
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 25 April 1995 :The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question about the number of ferries operating with facilities for 100% dry-shod evacuation.
At present there are 49 vessels of British registry operating out of United Kingdom ports and of these 45 have 100% dry-shod evacuation capability.
With regard to the 45 foreign vessels the information requested is not available but the vessels must comply with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Under that convention those constructed since 1 July 1986 will have the facility for over 100% dry-shod evacuation. As older ships are replaced the number with less than 100% dry shod evacuation will reduce.
Herald of Free Enterprise Report
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the long-term recommendations of the Herald of Free Enterprise report have not yet been implemented; and when he expects these to be implemented. [19303]
Mr. Norris: All of the recommendations of the court of inquiry into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise have been taken forward. Of the long-term recommendations, after consultation and consideration, two were considered unnecessary and two others were addressed in alternative ways.
The Government believe that there are no recommendations left to be implemented. All have been considered and action taken where appropriate.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the recommendations of the report into the Herald of Free Enterprise which to date have not been implemented and the target dates for implementation. [19388]
Mr. Norris: All the recommendations of the court of inquiry into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise have been taken forward. After consultation and consideration, one recommendation was not supported at the time and some others were not developed further in the light of subsequent technical appraisal, or were taken forward in ways different to those recommended by the inquiry for reasons of technical practicality or because of international developments. The Government believe that there are no recommendations left to be implemented. All have been considered and action taken where appropriate.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) registers of members' interests; and whether this in each case is(i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [20506]
Mr. Norris: The information is as follows:
(a) The London Regional Passengers Committee and Traffic Director for London, each under a statutory requirement.
(b) The Traffic Director for London publishes annual accounts under a statutory requirement. My right hon. Friend is required by statute to lay before Parliament the accounts of the general lighthouse fund which consolidate the accounts of the general lighthouse authorities; the Corporation of Trinity House, the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses and the Commissioners of Irish Lights. On a voluntary basis,
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the LRPC's accounts will, for the first time, be published in the annual report for 1994 95.(c) Minutes of LRPC meetings are voluntarily circulated to interested organisations and made available to members of the public who attend meetings and to anyone else on request. As a statutory requirement, the LRPC sends minutes of meetings to my right hon. Friend, the Rail Regulator and the Central Rail Users Consultative Committee.
(d) The LRPC voluntarily circulates agendas of meetings to the press, local authorities and transport user groups and makes them available to members of the public on request.
(e) None.
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [20666]
Mr. Norris: The information is as follows:
(a) Traffic Director for London
Northern Lighthouse Board
Trinity House
London Regional Passengers Committee.
(b) and (c) Information on audit arrangements for all four bodies in (a), except the London Regional Passengers Committee, is set out in "Public Bodies 1994". From 1994 95 the LRPC is to be subject to NAO scrutiny.
(d) As for (a), where this is regarded as meaning compliance with the code of practice on open government.
(e) Performance indicators have been set for the Traffic Director for London. The London Regional Passengers Committee sets its own performance targets. A system of indicators for the general lighthouse authorities is under discussion.
(f) All bodies are encouraged to follow the principles of the citizens charter.
Road Accidents (Over-60s)
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the quarterly figures for deaths in road accidents for people aged 60 years and over in Birmingham for 1990 to 1994; and what were (a) the national figures for 1990 to 1994 and (b) the figures for his Department's baseline years of 1991 to 1985. [20800]
Mr. Norris: The information requested is shown in the following table. Data for 1994 are not yet available.
Road accidents fatalities to people aged 60 and over: Birmingham
metropolitan district council and Great Britain 1990-1993
Fatalities
Calendar year |Quarter |Birmingham MDC|Great Britain
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |Quarter 1 |3 |387
|Quarter 2 |12 |310
|Quarter 3 |4 |291
|Quarter 4 |12 |441
1991 |Quarter 1 |6 |286
|Quarter 2 |5 |244
|Quarter 3 |4 |308
|Quarter 4 |9 |416
1992 |Quarter 1 |7 |280
|Quarter 2 |5 |236
|Quarter 3 |3 |294
|Quarter 4 |6 |346
1993 |Quarter 1 |3 |278
|Quarter 2 |2 |221
|Quarter 3 |5 |224
|Quarter 4 |8 |388
Baseline average (1981-85) |Quarter 1 |350
|Quarter 2 |304
|Quarter 3 |341
|Quarter 4 |475
1981-85 annual average |1,470
Transport Security Report
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the 1993 94 annual report of the Director and Co-ordinator of Transport Security. [21195]
Mr. Norris: I am today placing copies of this report in the Library of the House.
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