§ Lord KENNETasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Flag of Convenience LNG carriers will be permitted to operate in the Firth of Forth and if so which, and whether pilotage will be compulsory, and if so on whom will the cost of special training for pilots fall.
§ Lord TREFGARNEThe United Kingdom does not discriminate between ships of different flags. Flag of Convenience LNG carriers will therefore be permitted to operate in the Firth of Forth in the same way as LNG carriers under other flags. The Braefoot Bay development would be within the Forth compulsory pilotage district and LNG carriers would be subject to compulsory pilotage. Pilotage would be paid for in the usual way by dues levied on the shipowner. Licensed pilots would need no special training for piloting gas tankers as they are already experienced in piloting ships of all sizes; however, both port and pilotage authorities have started to prepare for the possible development by testing the proposed layout on a simulator.