HL Deb 24 April 2002 vol 634 cc239-41

2.45 p.m.

Lord Berkeley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action has been taken by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch to investigate at least three serious incidents that have occurred on the River Humber since the new pilotage service was introduced on 12th December 2001.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is conducting a full investigation of two recent accidents in the area. One of these was a collision on the River Trent on 25th February; the other was contact by a ferry with the jetty at Immingham on22nd April. Reports will be published when these investigations are completed.

Lord Berkeley

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble and learned friend for that reply, and I declare an interest as chairman of the UK Marine Pilots Association. Is the Minister aware that one serious accident involving a tanker at Immingham jetty could have caused major pollution and fire? Why has that not been investigated by the MAIB? Will he also explain the comment in the report issued yesterday by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on pilotage in the Humber that, Local piloting experience … is not indispensable"? If local knowledge is not necessary, why do we bother with pilots at all?

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, pilots require the necessary skill and knowledge to perform their very important job. We need to ensure that appropriate levels of safety are maintained when pilots are involved. My noble friend will know that the document to which he refers—I assume the one entitled The New Humber Pilotage Service—contains a table, at paragraph 8.16, of incidents occurring before and after the change. Those figures do not suggest a significant change in the number of incidents in relation to Humber pilotage. I shall write to the noble Lord on the third incident to which he referred.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, is the noble and learned Lord aware of the concern that few, if any, of the experienced pilots who were familiar with the Humber and its approaches are employed under the new scheme?

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, I shall have to check, but I understand that the number of pilots from the old scheme now employed under the new scheme is in the region of 14. The document placed on the DTLR website yesterday, to which my noble friend Lord Berkeley referred, sets out the experience since the change in the scheme. That does not suggest at the moment that there has been a change in relation to safety levels. We have to look at the figures carefully.

Lord Swinfen

My Lords, is the Minister satisfied that the new pilots on the Humber—not the experienced ones—have sufficient experience in handling a large variety of different vessels under different weather and tidal conditions in confined waters?

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, these are vital issues. Again, the detailed study of what has been going on suggests that standards are being maintained. It is important that standards are maintained. We do not have any evidence that they are not.

Lord Greenway

My Lords, does the Minister agree that, quite apart from the most important safety aspect, the confidence of master mariners using the Humber for trading purposes is at stake? Can the Government use their influence to bring both parties to accept independent arbitrators to sort out the distressing dispute?

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

My Lords, confidence is very important, as the noble Lord says. It is therefore very important to consider the system based on the facts set out in the document to which I referred. Obviously, it would be best if any dispute were resolved, but that is a matter between the port authority and the pilots.