HC Deb 08 May 1984 vol 59 cc316-7W
Dr. Godman

asked the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department understands the term flag of convenience.

Mr. David Mitchell

Under the 1958 High Seas Convention it is for each sovereign state to determine the conditions on which it accepts ships on its register. From Her Majesty's Government's point of view the most important consideration is the ability of the flag state to enforce properly the internationally agreed safety, prevention of pollution and crew standards. Although there is no generally agreed definition of "a flag of convenience" the term is often used to describe a State to whose register for one reason or another, there are attractions for an owner to transfer.