§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proposals he has for action on initiative 4.2.8 of Modern Ports: A UK Policy, that suggests a reserve of power to safeguard port marine safety. [35874]
§ Mr. JamiesonWe consulted in March 2000 on a proposed reserve power, which was recommended in our review of the Pilotage Act which was published in July 1998. We proposed that, if it appeared to the Secretary of State that a harbour authority had failed, or was failing, to discharge any of its statutory functions, and that a serious danger to navigation or serious threat of pollution was likely to result, he should have the power, after consulting the harbour authority and such other persons as he considered appropriate, to give the authority appropriate directions. There has been no opportunity so far to promote the necessary legislation.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will abolish the Statutory Harbour Undertakings (Pilotage Accounts) Regulations 1988. [35871]
§ Mr. JamiesonThese Regulations are made under Section 42 of the Harbours Act which relates to the accounts of statutory harbour authorities relating to the harbour activities and empowers the Secretary of State to prescribe their form and con tent. The Pilotage Act 1987, which transferred responsibility for providing pilotage services to competent harbour authorities and empowered them to levy pilotage charges, extended this provision to pilotage accounts.
The effect of the 1987 Act is to require pilotage accounts to be kept separately, although there is no similar requirement in relation to any other harbour authority activity. A review of the 1987 Act, published in 1998, 236W recommended that this separation was no longer needed, but there has been no opportunity to change that requirement.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will take steps to ensure that the role of competent harbour authorities is separate from the ownership of a port. [35873]
§ Mr. JamiesonA comprehensive review of responsibility for pilotage was undertaken after the 'Sea Empress' grounding five years ago. It was published, with Ministers' conclusions, in July 1998. It was a principal conclusion of that review that pilotage ought to remain a harbour authority function, and become fully integrated with other port safety services under harbour authority control.