§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the stranding of the MV Pergo at Dunbar on Sunday 15 January; whether it is normal practice for the engines and automatic steering of abandoned vessels to be left in operation; whether the Norwegian authorities gave any warning to mariners, the United Kingdom coastguard or oil production companies of the possible progress of an unmanned vessel in the North sea; and what action he proposes to take as a consequence of this incident.
§ Mr. David MitchellOn 13 January the Norwegian authorities, responding to a distress signal, rescued all five members from the Dutch registered vessel Pergo. It would generally be desirable to stop the engine before abandoning a ship if it is possible to do so. In this event the weather conditions were severe and I understand that the helicopter evacuation procedure required the ship to make headway through the sea and I have been advised that she was making 2 to 3 knots with her automatic steering engaged on a westerly course.
384WThe Norwegian authorities searched the area the following day, without success, and presumed that the vessel had sunk. Consequently they did not broadcast a navigational warning but as a precautionary measure kept the Ekofisk field and HM Coastguard informed of the situation. On 15 January the vessel grounded some three miles from Dunbar, where she was refloated and towed to Leith.
Investigation of this incident is primarily a matter for the authorities in the Netherlands, but my Department will assist them if required to do so.