Port Marine Safety Code (Hansard, 22 April 2002)

§ Tom Brake
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the statutory harbour authorities in the UK broken down by(a) companies, (b) local authorities and (c) trusts; which authorities had completed implementation of the port marine safety code by 31 December 2001; and what steps he is taking to ensure full compliance. [51440]

§ Mr. Jamieson
To date, the following harbour authorities have told my Department that they have completed implementation of the Port Marine Safety Code:
(a) Company Ports

Associated British Ports:

Ayr

Barrow

Barry

Cardiff

Fleetwood

Garston

Goole

Grimsby

Hull

Immingham
54W
Ipswich

King's Lynn

Lowestoft

Newport (Gwent)

Plymouth

Port Talbot

Silloth

Southampton

Swansea

Teignmouth

Troon

Whitby

Boston

Bristol

Clydeport

Forth Ports Ltd:

Dundee

Forth

Tilbury

Hutchison Ports:

Felixstowe

Harwich International

Larne

Mersey Docks & Harbour Company:

Heysham

Liverpool

Medway

Portland Port

Stena Line Ports:

Fishguard

Folkestone

Holyhead

Tees and Hartlepool

Warrenpoint

(b) Local Authority Ports

Aberdeenshire Council:

Macduff

Anglesey County Council:

Amlwch

Bristol City Docks

Carrick District Council:

Truro

Cumbria County Council:

Workington

Fenland District Council:

Wisbech

Fife Council

Hampshire County Council:

River Hamble Harbour Authority

Moray Council:

Buckie

Burghead

Cullen

Findochty

Hopeman

Portknockie

Penwith District Council:

Penzance

Portsmouth
55W
Scarborough Borough Council:

Scarborough

Whitby

Shetland Islands Council:

Lerwick

Scalloway

Sullom Voe

South Hams District Council:

Salcombe

Sunderland

Thanet District Council:

Broadstairs

Margate

Ramsgate

Torbay Council:

Brixham

Paignton

Torquay

Torridge District Council:

Bideford

West Somerset District Council:

Minehead

Watchet

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

(c) Trust Ports

Aberdeen Harbour Board

Belfast Harbour Commission

Berwick Harbour Commission

Bridlington Pier and Harbour Commission

Brightlingsea Harbour Commission

Caernarfon Harbour Trust

Carlingford Lough Commission

Chichester Harbour Conservancy

Cromarty Firth Port Authority

Dover Harbour Board

Falmouth Harbour Commission

Fowey Harbour Commissioners

Fraserburgh Harbour Commission

Gloucester Harbour Trustees

Great Yarmouth Port Authority

Harwich Haven Authority

Inverness Harbour Trust

King's Lynn Conservancy Board

Lancaster Port Commission

Langstone Harbour Board

Lerwick Port Authority

Londonderry Port

Lymington Harbour Commission

Milford Haven Port Authority

Montrose Port Authority

Neath Harbour Commission

Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commission
56W
Newport (Gwent) Harbour Commission

Padstow Harbour Commission

Peterhead Bay Authority

Peterhead Harbour Trust

Poole Harbour Commission

Port of London Authority

Port of Plymouth

Cattewater Harbour Commission

Shoreham Port Authority

Stornoway Pier and Harbour Commission

Teignmouth Harbour Commission

Tyne Port Authority

Warkworth Harbour Commission

Wells Harbour Commission

Whitehaven Harbour Commission

Wick Harbour Trust

Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) Harbour Commission

(d) Other public sector ports

British Waterways Board:

Caledonian and Crinan canals

London Docklands

River Ouse

Sharpness Docks

Environment Agency:

Rye Harbour.

My officials are corresponding with, and visiting, a number of harbour authorities that have significant responsibilities for marine safety if they have not reported compliance with the code.

§ Tom Brake
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2002,Official Report, column 671W, on marine and port safety, what subjects were discussed at the two exchanges of correspondence with the acting chairman; and if he will place copies of these exchanges in the Library. [51448]

§ Mr. Jamieson
The Department has now written on three occasions to the acting Chairman of Humber Pilots Ltd. (HPL), on four subjects—(1) the circumstances in which HPL's contract with Associated British Ports was terminated and the former pilots' authorisations revoked; (2) the requirement in the Port Marine Safety Code for pilotage services to be covered by a contract; (3) the numbers of Humber pilots now and formerly authorised by the competent harbour authority, and their qualifications; (4) the records of incidents kept by the authority and HPL. Letters between the Department and its correspondents are treated in confidence unless the originator chooses to make them public.

§ Tom Brake
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent changes there have been in the(a) measurement of and (b) legal duties for the safety of navigation by harbour authorities; and what progress has been made towards implementation of the port marine safety code. [51441]

§ Mr. Jamieson
There have been no recent changes in the legal duties for the safety of navigation of harbour authorities. The port marine safety code makes clear that the duties and powers that harbour authorities already have are generally sufficient to enable them to maintain 57W proper standards of port marine safety. The Department is undertaking a review during 2002 to assess how far the code has been implemented and what has so far been achieved.