§ Mr. Wylieasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the new performance specifications for voluntarily fitted radiotelephone equipment, due to come into force on 1st May, will preclude many yachtsmen from installing this important safety appliance, particularly in smaller boats; and if he will consider exempting non-commercial craft from these new specifications.
§ Mr. MasonThe "Performance Specification for a Radio Equipment in Ships Voluntarily-Fitted for Radiotelephony in 125W the Band 1605–3800 kc/s" which is due to come into force on 1st May and will replace, for new installations, the "Performance --Specification for a Radiotelephone Equipment for Voluntarily Equipped Ships", which dates from 1949, is effectively three specifications in one. The first is for vessels which will want full public correspondence facilities through our coast stations. The second is for vessels engaged on local voyages or which do not intend to use the public correspondence service regularly. The third is for vessels interested in inter-ship working only. For all three categories of vessels the safety requirements are defined.
I cannot agree to exempt noncommercial craft from this specification if they want to use the public correspondence service or to communicate—except for safety purposes—with other ships. There is, however, no question of voluntarily fitted vessels which do not require these facilities being required to comply with it; for equipment voluntarily fitted for safety purposes only there is a simpler specification—"Performance Specification for a Voluntarily-Fitted Radiotelephone Equipment for use solely for Distress, Urgency and Safety Purposes"—which has been in force since 1964.