HC Deb 21 January 1980 vol 977 cc33-4W
Mr. Prescott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied with the conditions that allowed a dispensation given to the MV "Hero" from its September 1977 annual load line survey.

Mr. Tebbit

International load line certificates are valid for a period of five years. The Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Rules 1968, which reflect internationally agreed standards, provide that a periodical inspection shall be carried out on, or within a period three months before to three months after, each anniversary of the date of completion of the survey leading to the issue of the certificate. The certificate issued to the "Hero" was valid for the five years 7 September 1976 until 6 September 1981: the question of dispensation from periodic survey did not therefore arise.

How much out of these amounts is used by the overseas concerns for capital expenditure on fixed assets and expenditure on stocks and work in progress is not known, and so no comparison is possible with United Kingdom domestic manufacturing investment by all United Kingdom companies which relates only to such expenditure.