§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to remove from the United Kingdom register fishing vessels that do not comply with part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.
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§ Mr. PortilloThe Merchant Shipping (Registration of Fishing Vessels) regulations which came into force on 1 December 1988 set a four-month transitional period before closure of the old fishing vessel registers. In order for their vessels to be accepted for the new register owners are required to confirm ownership particulars and submit a signed declaration of British character. These are then checked against the criteria in section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 before new certificates of registry are issued.