HC Deb 15 March 1995 vol 256 cc563-4W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will investigate the implications for safety of life at sea arising from the effects on crew fatigue of a rota of two months on and two months off on cross-channel ferries;

(2) which classification societies are currently undertaking work on behalf of the Marine Safety Agency.

Mr. Norris

There are operational matters for the Marine Safety Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letters front R.M. Bradley to Ms Joan Waller, dated 15 March 1995:

The Secretary of Sate has asked me to reply to your Question about the crew fatigue effects of a two months on/two months off rota on cross-Channel ferries.The Agency is not intending to investigate the implications of the crew rota to which you refer. It considers that the regulatory and inspection framework which I describe in this letter are sufficient to ensure that crewing arrangements on UK-flagged ships do not impair safety.Crewing arrangements on UK-flagged ships are primarily the responsibility of the ship-owner or operator to determine, within the requirements of the law. The minimum manning levels for these ships are laid down by the Department under the Merchant Shipping (Safe Manning Document) Regulations 1992. Broadly speaking. every UK ship of 500 GRT or more must carry a Safe Manning Document issued by this Agency and the manning of the ship must be maintained at all times to at least the levels specified in the document. These levels take account of a range of considerations. including the Department's concern that ships should he sufficiently manned for their safe operation having regard to the area in which they will be trading and the nature of the service for which they are intended. The Department has also just introduced the Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations 1995 which place a duty on ship operators to ensure that crews do not work more hours than are safe in relation to the safety of the ship. In addition, Section 31 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 places a duty on shipowners to ensure that their ships are operated in a safe manner.As part of its flag state responsibilities, the Agency inspects UK-flagged ships on a regular basis to ensure, amongst other things, that they are crewed in accordance with the safe manning document. The inspectors will also now ensure that the crews' working arrangements comply with the 1995 regulations. If crewing arrangements do not meet legal requirements, the ship may be detained until the matter has been resolved to the Agency's satisfaction.Foreign-flagged ships working into UK ports come under the jurisdiction of the state with which they are registered and must therefore comply with these states' requirements in respect of crewing arrangements. However, these ships are subject to portstate control inspections by the Agency. If the inspector considers that the manning of a foreign-flagged ship is unsafe, the ship can be detained until the matter is resolved with the flag state administration and the ship's owners to the Agency's satisfaction.The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your Question about Classification Societies undertaking work on behalf of the Marine Safety Agency.The Marine Safety Agency authorises five Classification Societies to undertake work on its behalf, namely:Lloyd's Register of ShippingAmerican Bureau of ShippingBureau VeritasDet Norske Veritas andGermanischer Lloyd