HC Deb 05 February 1968 vol 758 cc21-6W
Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the circular which his Department sent out about 18 months ago requesting that Trawlers should report their positions daily.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

Yes. The text of the letter sent by my predecessor on 25th May, 1966, together with a list of the organisations to whom it was addressed is as follows:—

Board of Trade,

1 Victoria Street,

London S.W.1.

Abbey 7877.

25th May, 1966.

From the Minister of State.

Our Ref.: MNA.68/10/079.

Dear

I have: now received replies from all but one of the organisations I wrote to on 11th May, 1965, about the need for more regular contact between fishing vessels and their owners. Officials of the Board have subsequently had further discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the General Post Office.

I mentioned in my letter that a reporting scheme providing for regular radio communication between all owners and fishing vessels, or vice versa, would present serious technical problems because the capacity of coast radio stations was limited and because vessels which proceeded beyond the range of the medium frequency coast radio stations would need to be equipped with high frequency radio equipment.

The General Post Office have been able to look further into the capacity of their coast radio stations and they now consider that these stations could handle extra messages sent as a result of the introduction of reporting arrangements for fishing vessels equipped with medium frequency radio, provided that the majority of these messages were sent outside peak traffic periods which cover only about 5 hours a day.

In the light of the replies to my letter and the discussions held by the Board, I have reached the conclusion that improved reporting arrangements would be of considerable value in the interests of the safety of fishing vessels. I strongly recommend, therefore, that owners of radio-equipped vessels which are normally away from port for more than 24 hours should be in regular radio communication with their vessels while they are within the range of any medium frequency coast radio station in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Such arrangements would enable the Search and Rescue Organisation to be alerted sooner than if there were no reporting scheme and would provide information for search purposes concerning the probable position of the vessel or of any liferafts. Where a vessel is owned by the skipper it would be necessary for the vessel's agent ashore to receive the reports.

In my view a daily report is most desirable, but I consider that at the very least there should be communication between owners and skippers, or skippers and owners, once every 48 hours.

The General Post Office would have to charge for the transmission of all such messages but I understand that reports in the form of a radio telegram could cost as little as 5s. 0d. The General Post Office would be pleased to discuss the timing of messages and any other details with the organisations concerned before any general scheme is introduced.

I consider also that the skippers of vessels not equipped with radio and which are normally away from port for more than 24 hours should leave details of their proposed voyages with someone ashore.

I strongly recommend the introduction of reporting arrangements on the lines I have suggested above. I hope that all the organisations concerned, including your own will feel able to support my recommendation which has the full support of Mr. James Hoy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Lord Hughes, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland and Mr. Slater the Assistant Postmaster General.

Authority Address
British Trawler Federation The Secretary, British Trawler Federation, Albert Square, Grimsby.
Grimsby Seiners' Association Mr. Cuerton, Grimsby Seiners' Association, Fish Dock Road, Grimsby.
English Herring Catchers' Association Ltd. Star Buildings, Beach Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk.
Fisheries Organisation Society Ltd The Secretary, Fisheries Organisation Society, Ltd., Denison House, 296, Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, S.W.I.
Shetland Fishermen's Association The Secretary, Shetland Fishermen's Association, St. Catherine's, Hamnavoe, Lerwick, Shetland.
Aberdeen Skippers' and Mates' Association. J. M. Crockett, 194, Market Street, Aberdeen.
Clyde Fishermen's Association Stewart, Balfour and Sutherland, Solicitors, County Buildings, Cambeltown Argyll
Firth of Forth Fishermen's Association Norman C. Osborne, The Harbour, Port Seton, East Lothian.
Granton and Leith Trawler Skipper's and Mates' Protective Association. Andrew L. Banyard, 20, Park Road, Leith, Edinburgh, 6.
Mallaig and North West Fishermen's Association. The Secretary, c/o Bank of Scotland, Mallaig, Inverness-shire.
Scottish Herring Producers' Association Ltd. Brander and Cruickshank, Advocates, 10, Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen.
Scottish Inshore White Fish Producers' Association Ltd. Brander and Cruickshank, Advocates, 10, Queen's Terrace, Aberdeen.
Scottish Trawlers' Federation Ronald S. Junor, 5, Albert Quay, Aberdeen.
Transport and General Workers' Union Transport House, Smith Square, London, S.W.I.
The Grimsby Trawlers Officers Guild 81, Cleethorpes Road, Grimsby.
The Hull Trawlers Officers Guild River Chambers, St. Andrews Dock, Hull.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many other nations require compulsory daily reporting of their position by trawlers; and if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT those countries which have such mandatory legislation.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

I regret that I have no information about the practice of other countries in this matter.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive a report and recommendations from the working group he established to study safety arrangements in trawlers.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

The Working Group which was set up on 9th August, 1967 because of the widespread concern felt about the safety of trawler fishermen is studying measures to reduce the high rate of personal accidents in which these men are involved. The Group's aim is to formulate recommendations in the shape of a code of safe working practices designed to protect trawler fishermen from industrial injuries and to safeguard them in their movements about the ship. A first draft of the section of the code dealing with machinery and gear has

I am writing in similar terms to other organisations concerned, a list of which is attached.

Yours sincerely,

ROY MASON.

been prepared. Consideration of this draft and work on the remaining sections covering deck, galley and fish hold operations and the important allied question of training is proceeding as quickly as possible. It is hoped that the Working Group will present its final report before the end of this year.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the membership of the working group he established to study safety arrangements in trawlers.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

The Working Group on the Safety of Fishermen on Trawlers includes representatives of the following bodies and organisations:

  • The Medical Commission on Accident Prevention.
  • The White Fish Authority.
  • British Trawlers' Federation.
  • Scottish Trawlers' Federation.
  • Shipbuilders' and Repairers' National Association.
  • Fishing vessel mutual insurance societies.
  • Transport and General Workers' Union.
  • Trawler Officers' Associations.
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.
  • Ministry of Labour Factory Inspectorate.
  • The Board of Trade, who also provide the Chairman and Secretariat.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the working group was constituted to study safety arrangements in trawlers; how often it has met; and how many organisations have so far given evidence.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

The Working Group on the Safety of Trawler Fishermen was set up at a meeting I had with representatives of the fishing industry on 9th August, 1967. The Working Group met again on 27th September, 1967, when their method of work was decided. Another meeting is being arranged for the middle of this month.

Written submissions have been received from the following organisations:

  • Hull Steam Trawlers Mutual Insurance and Protecting Co. Ltd.
  • Transport and General Workers' Union.
  • Medical Commission on Accident Prevention.
  • White Fish Authority.
  • Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.
  • H.M. Factory Inspectorate of the Ministry of Labour.

A draft code jointly produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, the United Nations agencies concerned, is also being studied, together with voluminous information from many other sources.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now establish a definite procedure to be followed if a trawler fails to report its position daily.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

I am considering, in consultation with the fishing industry, whether additional arrangements should be introduced.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firms have failed to observe the terms of the circular sent out about 18 months ago requesting that trawlers should report their positions daily.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

The circular was addressed to the associations representing fishing vessel owners, skippers and crews, who informed my predecessor that they would be getting in touch with their members. I cannot readily say how many firms have failed to comply with the recommendations in the circular. I am making inquiries and will publish the resulting information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. McNamara

asked the President of the Board of Trade what procedures his Department followed to ensure that the circular sent out about 18 months ago, requesting that trawlers should report their positions daily, was observed.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

The Board of Trade wrote to the organisations concerned in August, 1966, enquiring whether their members had implemented the recommendations in the circular letter. Assurances were received that, where appropriate, everything possible was being done to ensure that the recommendations were being complied with, but one organisation stated that there were practical difficulties in compliance but that these would be largely overcome by special arrangements.