HC Deb 11 May 1999 vol 331 c103W
18. Mr. Cawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the safety implications of the use of flags of convenience by ship owners. [82798]

Dr. Reid

Sub-standard shipping endangers the lives of passengers and crew and poses an increased risk to the marine environment. The UK Government are determined to tackle this problem by continued international efforts. Many, but not all, of the worst ships are flagged with open registers, and those registers with a poor safety record will continue to be targeted for inspection under Port State Control.