HC Deb 12 December 1994 vol 251 cc525-7W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current estimate of the number of former eastern bloc fishing vessels in United Kingdom waters within the harbour limits of Lerwick; in each case how many are klondykers; what assessment he has made of the implications for safety of life at sea arising from such vessels; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Norris

This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from R. Bradley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 12 December 1994: The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the number of former eastern bloc fishing vessels within the harbour limits of Lerwick. The number of fishing vessels within the harbour limits fluctuates daily in response to changes in weather conditions and the location of the fish shoals. At midday on Tuesday 6 December there were 59 former eastern bloc fishing vessels in Lerwick harbour, all of which are considered to be klondykers. Each of these klondykers has been inspected by surveyors from the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) since the second inspection campaign began in July 1994.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which vessels from the former eastern bloc have been subjected to port state control within the last 18 months; which vessels were klondykers; and if he will give the date and details of the inspections.

Mr. Norris

This is an operational matter for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from R Bradley to Ms Joan Walley, dated 12 December 1994: The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about the port state control inspections carried out on vessels from the former eastern bloc.

During the past 18 months, ships from the following former eastern bloc countries have been inspected:

Country Number of inspections of klondykers Number of inspections of other ships Total number of port state inspections
Azerbaijan — 1 1
Bulgaria 14 15 29
Croatia — 4 4
Czechia — 5 5
Estonia 4 9 13
Georgia — 5 5
Latvia 19 23 42
Lithuania 11 18 29
Poland 1 48 49
Romania — 11 11
Russia 132 227 359
Ukraine 9 40 49
The Marine Safety Agency publishes monthly a report of ships which have been detained in United Kingdom ports. Full details of former eastern bloc ships inspected and detained since June 1994, when publication began, can be found in these reports.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will request his shipping Minister to include in his visit to Shetland a visit to Lerwick harbour to assess the implications for safe shipping, search and rescue and marine pollution from former eastern bloc-owned klondykers.

Mr. Norris

My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping visited the Shetland islands on 4 November 1994. His visit included an informative and useful discussion with the chief executive and chairman of the Lerwick harbour trust, as well as providing an opportunity to see at first hand the problems posed by the klondykers.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what joint discussions he has held with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Scottish Office to resolve any problems arising from the klondyker fleet.

Mr. Norris

My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping met my hon. Friend the Minster with responsibility for agriculture and the environment at the Scottish Office on 31 October to agree a joint approach to tackling the problems arising from the klondyker fleet. The Scottish Office will be consulting on proposals to limit the numbers of fish transshipment licences and to introduce an advance notice requirement for licence applications. In addition, my officials have had several meetings with their counterparts in the Scottish Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Our Departments are working together to produce a further consultation paper on additional measures which could be taken to ensure adequate standards of safety and insurance on these ships.

Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to establish whether vessels from the former eastern bloc anchored within United Kingdom waters are fully insured.

Mr. Norris

Only oil tankers are required to carry proof of adequate liability insurance. The Marine Safety Agency's inspections of foreign fish factory ships have therefore not included a check of insurance documents.

There is, however, clear evidence that few, if any, of these ships carry adequate insurance.