§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is the current status of the Risk Assessment and 425W Collaborative Emergency Response project in the Irish Sea within the INTERREG programme; if the Marine Safety Agency is supporting this operation; and if he will make a statement; [31260]
(2) if he will make a statement on the Marine Safety Agency and Coastguard involvement in the Vessel Traffic Management Information System of the RACER project in the Irish Sea; and what is the policy of those agencies on the inclusion of VTMIS in the RACER project; [31261]
§ Ms Glenda Jackson[holding answer 25 February 1998]: On the UK side, this project comes under the Welsh Office. The Coastguard Agency and the Marine Safety Agency (MSA) have been consulted about the project's development and have given support, with the proviso that they can offer no financial assistance and only limited resource assistance, other than the occasional meeting. MSA also express an initial reservation about the value of the Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) aspect of the project. This is because an information service such as this could give a wrong perception that all shipping movements in the area were under observation and that this could relieve participants of some of their obligations for their own safety.
After further consideration, MSA is now willing to support the inclusion of the VTMIS in the Risk Assessment and Collaborative Emergency Response in the Irish Sea project but would wish to view the outcome of the project in the light of its reservation.