§ Lord KENNETasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the fact that a case of typhoid on board the Russian cruise ship "Litva" was recently not reported by the master, whether they will now amend the Merchant Shipping Bill or in some other way seek to restore the health regulations relating to ships to what they were before 3rd April 1978.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLNo. The revision of the Public Health (Ships) Regulations as from April 1978 was entirely in accordance with the World Health Organisation's International Health Regulations and consistent with the systems of port health controls being applied in other countries. The failure of the master of the "Litva" to report illness, which later proved to be typhoid, occurred even though the ship was boarded by the London Port Health Authority on each occasion it docked. I regard the attempts to link this incident with the changes in the regulations as serving no useful purpose, as explained fully by my honourable friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security in another place on 23rd November 1978.
House adjourned at a quarter past nine o'clock.