§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason yachts registered under the Merchant Navy Act 1894 must be re-registered every five years. [66361]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe previous registration regulations were largely based upon the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 and so represented the requirements for registration at that time. Unfortunately there was no provision for deleting vessels from the register, unless notified by the owner, where they had been sold to a foreign owner. More importantly, ships that were sunk could not be removed either. Over time this meant that many ships remained on the register when in fact they did not exist. Additionally, owners have not always updated their address when they moved which has resulted in out of date information being held.
The new regulations aim to keep the data more accurate whilst minimising the effect upon owners. An up to date register will be easier to administer and enable us to transfer all relevant records to our computer database without the additional cost involved in transferring redundant information. This in turn will enable us to keep registration costs as low as possible. We will also have accurate records to assist Coastguards in an emergency 310W and will be able to confirm current ownership quickly if registered owners find themselves in difficulty in foreign ports. Finally, it will enable us to discharge our international obligation to maintain the register more effectively and provide data to those that require it i.e. transcripts, etc., in an improved and efficient manner.