§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether contingency plans exist to deal with serious accidents involving ferries on routes across the Irish sea; what arrangements are made to test these plans; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloContingency plans exist at all coastguard regions to deal with serious maritime incidents, including ferry accidents in the Irish sea. The plans are frequently reviewed and tested from time to time with the full co-operation of the other emergency services including MOD, local authorities and the ferry companies.
The plans are tested using both live scenarios and simulated exercises, the last exercise taking place on the Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire route in September 1988 and the next scheduled for Belfast-Liverpool in the spring of 1989.