Roll-on Roll-off Vessels (Hansard, 13 November 1989)

§ Mr. Terry Davis
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is being undertaken into measures to prevent the loss of roll-on roll-off vessels at sea.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Following theOfficial Report of the formal investigation into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the Department of Transport initiated a wide-ranging programme of research into ways of increasing the safety of ro-ro passenger ferries. Phase I of this unusually complex and important programme is nearing completion. I hope that the steering committee which has been supervising progress will have assessed the results and reported to me by early in the new year.

§ Mr. Terry Davis
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 2 November,Official Report, column 271, how many (a) passenger and (b) freight roll-on roll-off vessels were lost at sea between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1988.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
The figures available for total losses of roll-on roll-off vessels worldwide do not distinguish between passenger and freight vessels, and an answer could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the United Kingdom, only one such vessel was totally lost at sea in the period and she was a passenger vessel.

§ Mr. Terry Davis
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is being undertaken into the causes of the loss of 23 roll-on roll-off vessels at sea between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1988.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
The only United Kingdom vessel concerned was the Herald of Free Enterprise. Research which was carried out as part of the investigation into the loss of that ship is reported in appendix IV to the report of the formal investigation (report of court number 8074, published by HMSO) which is available in the Library.
Investigations into the other losses were the responsibility of the various flag states. In general, the detail of research carried out as part of the investigations is not published, but a resume of the findings of investigations are provided to the International Maritime Organisation. These findings are valuable to the organisation and its member states in the revision and development of safety standards for roll-on roll-off ships.