§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether his Department's surveyors have refused to license fishing vessels unless their inflatable liferafts (a) are of United Kingdom manufacture and (b) contain instructions in English; and whether he regards their action as carrying out the Department's stated intention of acting reasonably in interpreting the regulations.
§ Mr. Clinton DavisMy Department has no record of a fishing vessel certificate being refused solely on the grounds in question. Under the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975 inflatable liferafts, including those of foreign manufacture, must comply with the standards for life-saving appliances and equipment therein which require, inter alia, survival instructions to be printed in English. Certain approved types of inflatable liferafts of foreign manufacture are accepted under the rules. These requirements embodied in the 1975 rules are not new: they have applied since 1958 to all liferafts carried on board fishing vessels. My Department has permitted some flexibility in the implementation of the rules with particular regard to inflatable liferafts and any owner experiencing difficulties in this connection should seek the advice of the local fishing vessel surveyor.