§ Lord IRONSIDEasked Her Majesty's Government:
- (1) how many submersibles are at present registered under the Merchant Shipping Acts;
- (2) how many of these are less than 15 gross registered tons;
- (3) what proportion are foreign owned;
- (4) whether the gross tonnage of submersibles will be one of the registered measurements determined when these craft are required to be specially registered as submersible apparatus under Part IV of the Merchant Shipping Act 1974, from 17th July 1976;
- (5) whether registration of other types of life support apparatus will be included in the regulations now being introduced by the Department of Trade.
Lord ORAMTwo British-owned submersibles are currently registered in the United Kingdom as ships under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1894; both of them having a gross registered tonnage of less than 15 tons. Gross registered tonnage is not included in the general description required for registration under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Submersible Craft) Regulations 1976. The regulations will embrace all manned mobile submersible apparatus which is designed to maintain some or all of its occupants at or near atmospheric pressure.
House adjourned at twenty-four minutes past ten o'clock.