§ 77. Mr. Wingfield Digbyasked the Minister of Transport whether he will instruct his surveyors who inspect foreign ships like the "Lakonia" which are over 25 years old to require a high proportion of the lifeboats to be lowered, to ensure gear is in order.
§ Mr. MarplesThe requirement for the periodic lowering of lifeboats on foreign passenger ships is governed by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1948. This requires weekly drills when practicable and if a voyage is to exceed one week a drill before the ship leaves port. Different groups of boats must be used in turn at successive boat drills. When the 1948 Convention is replaced by the Convention of 1960, every lifeboat will have to be swung out and, if practicable and reasonable, lowered at least once every four months. This will apply to ships of any age. My surveyors would normally only witness a boat drill on a foreign ship at the owners' request. The inspection of lifeboat gear is of course the responsibility of the Government of the country of a ship's registry.