§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will commission an assessment of the (i) cost and (ii) risk effectiveness of the safety equipment currently required to be carried by fishing vessels. [85855]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Fishing Vessel (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975 specified the carriage requirements for safety equipment on all UK registered fishing vessels. Since then, changes to those requirements have been developed within the context of the Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), in which representatives of the fishing industry have themselves influenced the standards being required. For smaller vessels (under 12 metres in length) we hope soon to introduce a new Code of Practice. This Code will specify safety equipment which should be carried. The list of safety equipment to be carried results from consultation with the industry and the benefits of each item have already been fully considered. A special assessment of cost and risk effectiveness of safety equipment is not necessary as requirements are kept under continuous review by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the industry through the mechanism of the FISG.