HC Deb 27 January 1975 vol 885 cc35-7W
Mr. Anthony Grant

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many collisions have taken place in the English Channel in each of the last five years; what were the nationalities of the vessels involved; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of such collisions.

Year 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
Collisions in Fog* … … 9 7 3 3 2
Other Collisions … … 2 4 3 — 4
Total Collisions … 11 11 6 3 6
* Visibility less than 4 km.
The nationality of the 74 vessels involved was as follows:—
12—United Kingdom.
11—Liberia.
7—Greece, Denmark.
6—West Germany.
5—France.
3—Cyprus, Panama.
2—Belgium, Norway, Poland and Sweden.
1—Argentina, Bulgaria, Ghana, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal and Spain.
2—Unknown.

Mr. Deakins

Following is the information:

Mr. Clinton Davis

The information is not readily available for the whole of the English Channel. For the Dover Strait, the sea area is bounded by latitudes 50°N and 51°30′N and by longitudes 0° and 2.30′E, numbers of collisions involving a ship of 500 tons or more between 1970 and 1974 were as follows:

The figures, particularly those for collisions in fog, show an encouraging downward trend following the introduction of the Traffic Separation Scheme in 1967 and its modification, together with the introduction of the Channel Navigation Information Service in 1972. Additional navigation aids are being provided, steps have been taken to extend the radar cover of the Dover Strait, and we are continuing to co-operate with the French Government on further measures to improve safety in the Channel.

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