§ Mr. Cyril D. TownsendTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement of his Department's conclusions in respect of the recommendations of the Marchioness inquest jury. [13418]
§ Mr. NorrisMy noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping has arranged for a paper setting out the Department's views on the recommendations of the Marchioness inquest jury to be placed in the Library of the House.
The Department agrees with the majority of the jury's 12 recommendations. In many cases, existing rules and guidelines already meet the jury's proposals. In those cases where recommendations are aimed at other agencies, the Department is pursuing the recommendations with the agencies in question.
The jury endorsed the earlier recommendations of the marine accident investigation branch report into the Marchioness sinking, together with the recommendations of the report of the inquiry into river safety by Mr. John Hayes. All of the recommendations in the MAIB's report have since been implemented. Action has also been taken on the recommendations of the Hayes report and an updated statement of the position is included in the paper published today.