§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Trade whether, in view of serious defects in tanker safety discovered by a Health and Safety Executive investigation, he will reconsider the deci- 318W sion not to require large existing United Kingdom registered oil tankers to be fitted with inert gas safety systems by June 1981, and medium and small tankers to be so equipped by June 1983, having regard to his insistence upon comparable requirements applying to foreign tankers seeking entry to United Kingdom ports.
§ Mr. EyreThe United Kingdom requirements for inert gas systems on existing tankers over 70,000 tons deadweight, and for smaller tankers, both United Kingdom and foreign, come into force on 1 June 1981 and 1 January 1983 respectively. In each case these dates are almost two years in advance of those required internationally.
It is necessary to allow tanker operators sufficient time for the contracting and fitting of these complex systems and consequent structural modifications to vessels and it would not, therefore, be practicable to further advance the operative dates.