§ 2.45 p.m.
§ Lord TanlawMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the major casualty off the Newfoundland coast of the oil rig "Ocean Ranger", they are fully satisfied that there will be adequate safeguards for the British operating crew of the new semi-submersible of similar design, "Ben Ocean Ranger", without a further independent design appraisal by an unbiased and disinterested third party.
§ The Minister of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Mansfield)My Lords, the "Ben Ocean Ranger" will be required to comply with United Kingdom safety requirements for mobile offshore installations operating on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. This requires an independent appraisal of the design and construction by a certifying authority appointed by the Secretary of State for Energy.
§ Lord TanlawMy Lords, I thank the noble Minister. Will there be an independent inquiry before the "Ben Ocean Ranger" puts to sea? Is he aware of the reports, which appeared in the media after the sinking of the "Ocean Ranger", of the unhappiness of the skipper in charge of the vessel, who said that there were approximately 200 design defects in his craft?
§ The Earl of MansfieldMy Lords, I would not want the noble Lord, or indeed the House, to be under any misapprehensions about this matter. The certifying authority for the "Ben Ocean Ranger" will be the American Bureau of Shipping. We have to appreciate that the cause of the loss of the "Ocean Ranger" is not yet known. It is therefore premature to call into question the validity of safety assessments by the American Bureau of Shipping. In the case of the "Ben Ocean Ranger" the American Bureau of Shipping will be applying United Kingdom requirements, and in certain areas they involve a more comprehensive assessment of the design than that required to meet the classification rules. In some areas the United Kingdom's exceptions criteria are more stringent.
§ Lord TanlawMy Lords, can the Minister then confirm that the "Ben Ocean Ranger" will put to sea before the final reports and conclusions have been reached by the American Bureau of Shipping as to the causes of the catastrophe that occurred to the "Ocean Ranger"?
§ The Earl of MansfieldMy Lords, I cannot possibly give any such undertaking because we do not know what results, if any, the inquiries into the tragic loss of the "Ocean Ranger" will reveal.
§ Lord StrabolgiMy Lords, would not the Government agree that a full inquiry is necessary, as the safety of the crew is at stake?
§ The Earl of MansfieldMy Lords, we have established contact with the Canadian authorities investigating the incident and we shall be informed of the findings as and when they are known.
§ Lord TanlawMy Lords, will the noble Earl answer one final question: are the Government prepared, then, to accelerate the developments in free-falling safety capsules and lifeboats which have been worked on, in order to look after the safety of crew members of these very high structures, which appear to be causing considerable danger to those who sail in them?
§ The Earl of MansfieldMy Lords, I have no doubt that these are questions which will occupy a great deal of time and energy on the part of the Canadian authorities in establishing the facts of how this tragedy occurred.