§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Government inspectors there have been, in each of the last 10 years, inspecting(a) pleasure craft and (b) non-pleasure craft for seaworthiness.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe number of Department of Transport surveyors in marine offices available to carry out such inspections in each of the last 10 years was as follows:
Date Number 1 April 1981 168 1 April 1982 165 1 April 1983 171 1 April 1984 172 1 April 1985 157 1 April 1986 146 1 April 1987 138 1 April 1988 127 1 April 1989 122 1 April 1990 122
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) pleasure craft and (b) non-pleasure craft using the River Thames have had their seaworthy licences withdrawn in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. McLoughlinSome 135 passenger vessels operating on the River Thames are required to be periodically surveyed and certificated by the Department of Transport to ensure compliance with relevant safety provisions. Any serious deficiencies detected during random inspections must be corrected before the vessel is allowed to operate. In the past 12 months four vessels have had their certificates temporarily invalidated.
Larger non-passenger vessels are also subject to periodic survey and certification as well as random inspections. It is normal practice to detain a vessel found to have serious deficiencies until they are corrected rather than withdraw certificates. In the past 12 months four vessels were detained.
Detailed information for earlier years is not readily available.