§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) for how long, and between what dates, the "Starella" and the "Criscilla" will be acting as link vessels off the north-west coast of Iceland;
(2) what specialised meteorological, medical and technical staff will be carried by the "Starella" and "Criscilla" when acting as link vessels off the northwest coast of Iceland;
(3) what arrangements have been made for specialised local meteorological forecasts by the "Starella" and "Criscilla" while on link duty off the north-west coast of Scotland;
(4) when the "Miranda" will be available to take up her station off the northwest coast of Iceland.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, West (Mr. James Johnson) on 17th December.—[Vol. 808, c. 429.]
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sort of small craft will be used by the crew members of the "Miranda" in possible ferrying operations; if any weather limitations will be placed on the use of such craft; in view of the dangerous nature of such work, if protective clothing will be provided in such craft and on board the "Miranda"; and what life insurance cover will be taken out by his Department to cover such crews.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantStandard 16-foot rubber inflatable boats as used by the "Orsino" last year will be used. A rigid inflatable similar to those used by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution is also being embarked for comparative trials. No weather limitation is being put 519W on the use of these boats but the Support Commander will take account of weather conditions before deciding to use them. Full protective clothing as used in "Orsino" last year is being supplied for use on the upper deck and for boat work. The provision of life insurance for members of the crew is still a matter of negotiation between the "Miranda's" managers and the unions.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what service the vessel "Miranda" will give to British fishing vessels; what sort of work her crew will be expected to do in giving technical assistance; and if this will require special skills not normally required of maritime crews.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantAs my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Trade, said on 8th December in his reply to the Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, West (Mr. James Johnson), the support ship "Miranda" is being deployed this winter off north-west Iceland in accordance with Recommendation 4 of the Holland-Martin Report. She will provide services similar to those provided by "Orsino" last winter. Specialist skills will not be required of the crew provided by the managers but the ship will be carrying additional specialists such as a doctor and meteorological officer and the Master will also act as Advisory Officer to trawlers in the area.—[Vol. 808, c. 72.]
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the crew manning will be of the vessel "Miranda"; and if the rate of pay will be at least equal to that paid to those who previously did a similar job on the vessel "Orsino" chartered by his Department for the 1969–70 winter.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe crew proposed for "Miranda" and agreed with the appropriate Unions will amount to 30 and in addition there will be three specialist staff. "Orsino" was chartered by the Board of Trade for service in 196869 and again in 1969–70 on time-charter terms. The amounts paid to the crew were accordingly agreed between the owners, Messrs. Hellyer Bros. of Hull and the crew, and were not known to the Department.
Rates of pay for the crew of "Miranda" are still the subject of negotiations between 520W the Managers (Ellermans Wilson Line Ltd., Hull) and the Unions involved.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the tonnage and age of the vessel "Miranda" purchased by his Department as a service vessel for the British fishing fleets off Iceland during the winter months; how much she cost; what is the nature and extent of the alterations now being carried out at Immingham; and how she will compare with similar vessels servicing other foreign fishing fleets.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe gross tonnage of "Miranda" after conversion, will be 1,462 tons. Orginally built in 1942 she was rebuilt in 1967 in order to undertake geophysical survey work. She is strengthened for navigation in ice and was built and has been maintained in Lloyd's Class +100 A1 throughout her life. The ship cost £90,000 and is now having a major conversion. She has been given flush decks and her upper surfaces have been cleared of mast and rigging to minimise ice accretion.
New accommodation has been built and the original accommodation rebuilt to British standards. Cabins are single-berth, and mechanically ventilated and heated. Television and cinema facilities are provided. A six-berth hospital has been installed, equipped with X-ray apparatus, dental and surgical facilities. The ship is fitted for communications with shore stations, aircraft and the trawler fleet and has weather forecasting equipment. A workshop will allow her to give the technical assistance called for in the Holland-Martin Report.
Comparable information about vessels supporting foreign fishing fleets is not readily available.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what fee is paid by his Department to the company managing the vessel "Miranda" on its behalf.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe Managers, Ellermans Wilson Line Ltd., Hull were appointed as the result of competitive tender. The sum paid is a matter of commercial confidence and cannot therefore be disclosed.
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§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the representative of the Transport and General Workers Union, the Skippers Guild and other representatives of the fishing industry on the decision to use the trawlers "Starella' and "Criscilla" as link vessels, following the decision not to replace H.M.S. "Malcolm" with another vessel of the Royal Navy off the northwest coast of Iceland until the "Miranda" is able to take up her station.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThere have not been formal discussions but the Trade Unions concerned, and the British Trawler Federation, have been kept informed.