§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the seaworthiness of the tanker the Braer when she left the Norwegian port of Mongstad on 3 January 1993. [27340]
440W
§ Mr. SpellarIn its investigation into the engine failure and subsequent grounding of the Braer on 5 January 1993, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) concluded that the vessel was seaworthy when she left Mongstad on 3 January. No evidence has emerged since to contradict this finding.
§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the opportunity the captain of the Braer was given of commenting on the Marine Accidents Investigation Board inquiry report prior to its publication. [27339]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) sent a copy of the draft report to the Braer's captain on 25 August 1993. It was sent to the address in Greece he had given to the MAIB inspectors. It was returned unopened and with no comment as to whether the captain lived there, had moved or that the address was wrong.
The MAIB then contacted the managers of Braer who gave two telephone numbers through which they had contacted him. MAIB tried both numbers during the period 21 to 22 September 1993 but received no reply.