HC Deb 16 March 1987 vol 112 cc395-6W
Mr. Campbell-Savours

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether the carriage of toluene diisocyanite on the Herald of Free Enterprise at the time of her loss was in contravention of the Merchant Shipping Regulations 1981.

Mr. Moore

From the information available, I have no reason to doubt that the carriage of toluene diisocyanite on the Herald of Free Enterprise at the time of her loss was not in contravention of the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1981.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he is satisfied with the type of lifejacket used aboard ferries such as the Herald of Free Enterprise which was involved in the Zeebrugge disaster; and if he will make a statement;

(2) how many lifejackets were carried aboard the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry; and what was the number of passengers and crew capable of being carried on the ferry;

(3) if, in the light of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster, he will examine the design of lifejackets available abroad the ferry; what information he has as to whether the existing design was satisfactory for those persons struggling in the flooded hull; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what instructions are issued to passengers on the location and use of lifejackets on hoard ferries such as the Herald of Free Enterprise which was involved in the Zeebrugge disaster; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The type of lifejacket carried on the Herald of Free Enterprise was of an advanced design originally approved by my Department in 1978. It was recently retested and shown to comply fully with the requirements of the 1983 amendments to the international convention for the safety of life at sea, 1974 which entered into force on 1 July 1986. There is no evidence to suggest that the particular design of lifejacket is unsuitable for use on any United Kingdom ship, including ferries such as the Herald of Free Enterprise.

The Herald of Free Enterprise was provided with 1,505 lifejackets, of which 139 were specially designed for use by children. I have no reason to doubt that the ship carried these numbers at the time of the casualty. The ship was certified to carry a total number of 1,400 persons.

Insufficient evidence has been collected to date about the use of lifejackets on this incident to suggest that the design of these lifejackets should be examined. Persons wearing lifejackets in the water within the flooded hull would have been kept afloat. All current designs of lifejacket would have had to be removed to permit the wearer to pass through the small openings in the side of the ship when making an escape.

Under the Merchant Shipping (Musters and Training) Regulations, 1986, the attention of passengers on ferries must be drawn to the emergency instructions required to be posted in passenger cabins and displayed in muster stations and in other passenger spaces. Such instructions, illustrated as appropriate, give information on the location of muster stations, essential actions to be taken in an emergency situation, and the method of donning lifejackets. On this type of ferry, lifejackets for all persons on board are stowed in special lockers in or adjacent to the muster stations with a further five per cent. stowed on deck. The usual method of drawing the attention of passengers to the emergency instructions is by an announcement on the public address system on the ship's departure from port.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will use the powers vested in him by the Safety at Sea Act 1986 to introduce by statutory instrument any necessary interim safety measures arising out of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer

My right hon. Friend said in the House on 9 March, at column 24, that he would not hesitate to use the powers vested in him and he will take such action as is necessary if any statutory measures are required.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Leicester, East on 12 March, Official Report, column 283, what information he has as to the completeness and accuracy of the passenger returns made by the master of the Herald of Free Enterprise under the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Returns) Regulations 1960; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer

In the circumstances of the loss of this vessel, it is not possible for me to answer the question.