§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the powers that exist at present to eliminate sub-standard shipping from entering ports in the United Kingdom; and if he has any plans to amend those powers.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe United Kingdom, with 13 other European countries, is a signatory to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on port state control, under which foreign ships using its ports are subject to inspection to912W check compliance with the requirements of the international maritime conventions. Each signatory country should achieve an annual total of inspections corresponding to 25 per cent. of the estimated number of individual foreign merchant ships which enter its ports during a 12-month period; the United Kingdom has always exceeded 25 per cent. In practice, this should result in an inspection rate of around 85 per cent. of all individual ships using ports in the region.
The Department's marine surveyors possess substantial powers to ensure that deficiencies found on ships are rectified. These powers include the sanction of detention in cases where the deficiency is serious and clearly hazardous to safety, health or the environment: the owner or master may also be prosecuted. I have no immediate plans to seek amendments to the present powers.