HC Deb 20 May 1971 vol 817 cc358-61W
Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now consider compulsory pilotage on all large tankers and dangerous cargo vessels that wish to proceed through the Dover Straits and the English Channel within a regional agreement established under the auspices of the International Maritime Consultative Organisation.

Mr. Anthony Grant

I believe that the most important requirement is the carriage of properly qualified officers backed up in certain circumstances by properly certificated pilots. While I am by no means convinced that compulsory pilotage of all such vessels proceeding through the Channel would necessarily improve safety, I would be prepared to consider it if the other countries who are closely concerned wish to introduce such a requirement.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the possibilities of establishing an agreement with France, the Netherlands and Belgium on a wrecks removal system in the Channel.

Mr. Anthony Grant

The question of wreck removal was discussed at the meeting last week with France, the Netherlands and Belgium. I hope to make a statement shortly on the improvement of Channel navigation.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to control wreck salvors in the event of collisions and strandings of oil tankers in the Channel.

Mr. Anthony Grant

If serious pollution of our coast is threatened we shall be ready, if necessary, to intervene in a shipping casualty in the Channel in conformity with international law, and to exercise the powers given by Section 8 of the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1971. The need for such intervention must be assessed in the light of the circumstances of each case.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the powers he has to ascertain the quality and numbers of certificated officers on board the large oil tankers using the English Channel; and what further steps he has in mind to strengthen them.

Mr. Anthony Grant

The relevant powers applicable to British ships, including large oil tankers, are provided in Section 103 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1394. Further powers are now avail- able under Section 43 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1970, relating to manning, qualifications and certification, and these will be used to revise current requirements for British ships. Such powers are not applicable to foreign ships but Her Majesty's Government are pressing for effective progress to be made in the joint study of international minimum requirements of competency being undertaken by the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the measures that are now in existence to prevent accidents, collisions and strandings of vessels in the Dover Straits and English Channel; and what further measures principally designed to prevent accidents are to be introduced.

Mr. Anthony Grant

The Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea adopted by the International Conference on Safety of Life at Sea, 1960, as well as the various requirements of the safety of Life at Sea Convention, 1960, apply, of course, to ships using the Dover Strait and English Channel. A traffic separation scheme for the Dover Strait has been in operation since 1967. I hope to make a statement about further improvement of Channel navigation shortly.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now make a statement on the progress made by the two shipping conferences, namely, the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation Conference in March and the Four Nation Conference in May, on making the Dover Straits and English Channel safer for shipping and in what timescale.

Mr. Anthony Grant

I hope to make a statement shortly on this and on the action which we propose to take to improve navigation in the Channel.

Mr. Mason

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent he has made progress with the English Channel coatline countries to extend legal jurisdiction up to the median line, thereby establishing legal control of all the Channel straits and having this established as a regional agreement covering dangerous waterways within the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation.

Mr. Anthony Grant

There have been discussions with representatives of Belgium, France and the Netherlands about measures to improve navigation in the Channel. I hope to make a statement shortly.