HC Deb 30 October 1989 vol 159 cc91-3W
Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has had any representation on the cost of switching from Decca to Loran C for the marine rescue services;

(2) if he will list the representations he has had about Loran C;

(3) if he will publish his response to the paper submitted by Racal Decca on the Loran C proposals;

(4) if he will publish the basis for his costings for updating the Decca transmitters.

Mr. McLoughlin

Representations about the future choice of marine radionavigation system have been received from the following:

  • Andrew Weir Shipping
  • Brightlingsea and District Fishermen's and Boatmen's Association
  • British Marine Industries Federation
  • British Motorship Owners Association Ltd
  • British Offshore Support Vessels Association
  • British Ports Federation
  • British Shippers' Council
  • British Telecom (Marine) Ltd
  • Brooks and Gatehouse Ltd
  • Caledonian MacBrayane
  • Coe Metcalf Shipping
  • Comite International Radio Maritime
  • Commissioners of Irish Lights
  • Cruising Association
  • Department of Agriculture for Scotland
  • Department of the Environment

Mr. McLoughlin

Freight tonnage handled over the last five years by those ports in Great Britain where the local authority is the harbour authority, and where traffic exceeded 100,000 tonnes a year, is given in the following table.

There are another 14 ports in Great Britain where the local authority is the harbour authority but traffic was less than 100,000 tonnes per year.

  • Department of Trade and Industry
  • Electronics and Business Equipment Association
  • Federatie Van Visserijverenigingen
  • Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen
  • General Council of British Shipping
  • Highlands and Islands Fishermens Association
  • Honourable Company of Master Mariners
  • Humberside International Fisheries Institute
  • International Association of Lighthouse Authorities International Chamber of Shipping
  • International Hydrographic Bureau
  • Kelvin Hughes Ltd
  • Lights Advisory Committee
  • Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food
  • MOD Hydrographer
  • National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
  • Navigation Management Ltd
  • NAVSTAR (Polytechnics Electronics)
  • Nautical Institute
  • Northern Ireland Fish Producers' Organisation Ltd
  • Northern Lighthouse Board
  • North Shields Fishermen's Association
  • NUMAST
  • Racal Decca Marine Navigation Ltd.
  • Royal Institute of Navigation
  • Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • Royal Yachting Association
  • Royal Yachting Association for Scotland
  • Scottish Development Department
  • Scottish Fishermans Federation
  • Sea Fish Industry Authority
  • Shell UK Exploration and Production
  • STC Defence Systems
  • Trinity House
  • United Marine Aggregates Limited
  • Wild Goose Association

Some 12 individuals have also made representations.

The RNLI has drawn attention to the cost of re-training marine rescue personnel and of re-equipping with receivers if a changeover were to be made to Loran C.

These representations are all now being considered, and the Department proposes to publish a response in due course to the paper submitted by Racal Decca Marine Navigation Ltd. The costings for updating the existing Decca transmitters are based on an offer made by RDMNL to the general lighthouse authorities in November 1988, under which the company would finance the work in return for an extension of their contract with the authorities to the year 2004.