§ Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department is doing to implement the recommendations of the advisory committee on major hazards to study the inter-relationships of various regimes of control for vessels carrying major hazardous cargoes into United Kingdom ports, operations in loading and discharging and the application of planning controls in such port areas.
§ Mr. David MitchellI understand that the Health and Safety Commission has accepted these recommendations and has set up a sub-committee to study further the major hazard aspects of the transport of dangerous substances. My Department intends to co-operate fully with this sub-committee in its work. At present the HSC is preparing regulations on the handling and storage of hazardous substances in harbour areas. The introduction of these regulations with complementary merchant shipping legislation will make a valuable contribution towards the inter-relationship of the various organisations concerned with the movement of dangerous goods.