§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Harborough of 18 April,Official Report, columns 913–14, about sub-standard shipping, whether foreign ships in his reply includes all ships belonging to member nations of the EEC.
§ Mr. McLoughlinYes. Merchant ships belonging to other members of the European Community are regarded as foreign ships and therefore subject to port state control inspection when they enter a United Kingdom port.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for264W Harborough of 18 April about sub-standard shipping, how often in the past 12 months his Department's marine surveyors have used their powers relating to deficiencies on visiting ships (a) to prevent their entry to British ports and (b) to retain vessels; and in how many cases the vessel's owner or master was prosecuted.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThere has been no case in the last 12 months of Department of Transport marine surveyors using their powers to prevent the entry of visiting ships into United Kingdom ports. During that period, 60 ships were detained and seven prosecutions were initiated.