§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the recommendations made by the marine accident investigation branch in the Marchioness/Bowbelle report have been fully implemented; and if he will list those recommendations which remain to be implemented, and the target implementation date.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe 27 recommendations in the marine accident investigation branch report were published, separately from the report, in July 1990. The Secretary of State for Transport immediately accepted them all. So far 20 recommendations have been fully implemented.
Of those outstanding, five are to be the subject of regulations, and, as required by the Merchant Shipping Act 1979, consultative documents have been circulated for public comment. It is planned that sets of regulations, based on three recommendations will be in force by this summer. The recommendations to be covered by these regulations will be:
No. 5—minimum standards of visibility on passenger launches;No. 15—boatman's licence to be given statutory status;No. 17—hours of work on river craft.It is planned that sets of regulations, based on two recommendations, will be in force by this autumn. The recommendations to be covered by these regulations will be:
No. 20—a review of standards of stability and construction on passenger launches;No. 24—a review of life saving appliance requirements on passenger launches.In respect of action on recommendation No. 4—to enforce existing guidelines on navigational bridge visibility 219W on sea going ships—the United Kingdom made a submission to the 17th assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1991, and will be making a submission to the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee during 1992, with a view to the mandatory adoption of the guidelines internationally. Arrangements enabling all relevant United Kingdom ships currently operational to comply with this recommendation should be completed by the end of this month.Responsibility for recommendation No. 19—a traffic signalling system on the River Thames—lies with the Port of London Authority (PLA). A system of radio-controlled warning lights has been developed by the PLA, for 19 London bridges. Commissioning of the lights will take place on 15 February. It is anticipated that there will be a commissioning period of one month prior to final acceptance by the PLA.