§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will impose a national standard for the issue of pilotage exemption certificates. [39820]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Pilotage Act 1987 assigns to competent harbour authorities the responsibility for deciding the qualifications required of applicants for pilotage exemption certificates. They have to consider skill, experience and local knowledge and, where appropriate, knowledge of English. We have no plans to change this. However, we have proposed to develop with the ports industry guidelines on the way this task might be undertaken: our aim is to assist authorities with advice on agreed industry practice. These guidelines would support the Port Marine Safety Code.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many pilotage exemption certificates have been issued on the Humber in the last year. [39819]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe issue of pilotage exemption certificates is a matter for the competent harbour authority. I understand from the authority for the Humber that 40 new pilotage exemption certificates were issued in 2001, compared with 35 in 2000. These are the latest readily available figures. There is always a turnover of certificate holders since crews change on vessels regularly using any port. I understand that almost all the new certificates were replacements of additional certificates issued in these circumstances.