§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Minister for Trade on what date he received the report of the Anglo-Norwegian working group established to investigate whether the Norwegian authorities have set any barriers to the use of British registered vessels in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea; if he will set out the main conclusions of that report; and when he expects to announce his own assessment of the report.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to the reply, 11 February 1983, c. 490]: The working group examined the technical safety standards imposed by Norway and the United Kingdom on supply vessels serving offshore installations in their respective sectors of the North Sea with a view to establishing whether there were any significant differences and if so whether such differences were a barrier to Norwegian and United Kingdom supply ships freely operating in both sectors. I received the working group report on 20 December. The main conclusion of the report was that national technical safety standards as applied by the regulatory authorities do not act as a barrier. I am still considering the report and what further studies may be required in other areas.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Minister for Trade, further to the reply to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 7 February, Official Report, c. 255, on what date in March he expects to be meeting the Norwegian Minister for Commerce and Shipping to discuss the employment of British registered supply vessels operating in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.