§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in each of the last five years, what proportion of vessels travelling coastwise between ports and harbours in the United Kingdom were(a) registered in the United Kingdom, (b) registered in member states of the (i) European Community and (ii) European Economic Area and (c) registered under flags of convenience; and what weight of cargo was so carried. [81429]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonInformation is not available in the form requested. However, Table 2.15 ofWaterborne Freight in the United Kingdom 1996, and a similar table in earlier issues of this annual publication, which are all available in the Library, contains information on the flag shares of vessels engaged in the United Kingdom's coastwise traffic in terms of tonnes lifted and tonne-kilometres moved. The tonnages of coastwise cargo carried by UK registered vessels and by all vessels for years 1993 to 1997 are as follows:
million tonnes Coastwise cargo carried by UK registered vessels Total coastwise cargo 1993 20.8 60.2 1994 19.5 61.2 1995 18.7 67.7 1996 17.3 70.9 1997 not available 71.1
§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of cargo vessels, not carrying passengers, travelled between members states of(a) the European Economic Area and (b) the European Union in each of the last five years which were not registered in one of the members states; and what (i) formal and (ii) informal agreements exist between those states prohibiting use of their (1) ports and (2) harbours by vessels registered under flags of convenience with inferior safety standards to those set by the member states. [81435]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonData on cargo vessel movements between member states of the European Economic area and the European Union are not held by the Department, and no formal or informal agreements exist between those states that prohibit the use of their ports and harbours by vessels registered under flags of convenience.
Ships flying flags with poor safety records in the European port state control region (as measured by an above average detention rate) are targeted for inspection by the UK and its European partners. Individual ships can be banned if they fail to comply with release conditions following detention or if they do not carry certification required under the International Safety Management Code.