§ Mr. Carmichael:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 158W, on lifeboats, when the International Maritime Organisation's Design and Equipment Sub-Committee will conclude its review of the standards and guidelines which currently apply to the launching and operation of lifeboats; and what the main objectives of the UK delegation on this committee are. [143498]
§ Mr. Jamieson:The Design and Equipment Sub-Committee will next meet from 1 to 5 March 2004. The short term objective, which will be reviewed at this meeting, is particularly concerned with reducing the number of accidents during lifeboat drills and ensuring reliability of the equipment. Additional guidance and regulations are being developed on crew training and the maintenance of equipment.
In the longer term, the Sub-Committee seeks to simplify standards for the design of lifeboats in order to make them easier and more reliable to use. It is essential that safety standards in this area are established on an international basis. The UK delegation will therefore support the Sub-Committee by working with international partners to ensure guidelines to the shipping industry are sufficient and effective.