HL Deb 15 March 1982 vol 428 cc511-2WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether gas tankers permanently moored in British inshore waters count as ships, in which case the shipowners' liability for compensation in the event of accidents would bear no relationship to the actual damage done but only to the tonnage of the vessel.

Lord Lyell

Whether such a vessel would count as a ship would depend on whether it was at the material time considered to be "used in navigation". If it did, the maximum liability of the owner for damage would depend on tonnage unless the damage resulted from the owner's or operator's fault or privity, in which case the liability would be unlimited.