§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a marine surveyor of his Department visited 177W the vessel m.s. "Blue Calypso" while she was berthed in Grimsby; and what steps he is to take to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in which unsafe ships have operated from British ports.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantNo. Control over foreign ships entering British ports with valid certificates issued under the authority of a contracting Government to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, 1960, is exercised in the manner prescribed in Regulation 19 of Chapter 1 of the Convention. There was no reason for marine surveyors of the Department to suppose, in advance of its arrival in Grimsby, that the condition of the "Blue Calypso" or its equipment did not correspond substantially with the particulars of the certificate. Foreign ships are liable to general inspection in British ports but it is only practicable to carry out such inspections in a limited number of cases.
§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department have called for a report from Lloyd's Register of Shipping into the reasons why they issued a safety certificate to the vessel "Blue Calypso" despite the state of her steering gear, lifeboats and their launching equipment, deck and lifejackets, constituting a contravention of Regulation 19 of Chapter 1 of the Safety at Sea Convention and Section 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantIn the case of the "Blue Calypso", which is registered in Cyprus, we understand that Lloyd's Register of Shipping was acting for the Government of Cyprus, whose responsibility it would be to inquire into allegations of non-compliance with the terms of any certificate issued on its behalf in accordance with the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, 1960.