§ Mr. CarmichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Government will meet the compliance deadline of 1 July for implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code; what steps his Department is taking to meet this deadline; how many UK ships and ports have reached the required standard to date; and if he will make a statement. [167637]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Department for Transport's Transport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) has the policy lead and is responsible for introducing the ISPS Code requirements to approximately 600 UK port facilities and over 600 UK flagged ships by the deadline of the 1 July 2004. Operationally TRANSEC is responsible for UK ports and passenger shipping, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has been delegated responsibility for non-passenger shipping, under a policy framework set by TRANSEC.
The UK has made excellent progress towards implementation and there is every expectation that all UK flagged ships and port facilities that submit acceptable security plans by the deadlines set by TRANSEC and MCA, will be ISPS compliant by the 1 July deadline.
TRANSEC have carried out port facility security assessments at facilities which fall within the scope of the Code and have categorised them by traffic type. Both TRANSEC and MCA have issued security instructions and standards for different categories of port and ship facilities, and have provided port and ship security plan templates to assist industry with the preparation of their security plans. Liaison with the port and shipping industries has played a fundamental part in developing effective and proportionate policies and this communication is on-going.
It is not our policy to comment in detail on security measures. Therefore, I cannot set out in detail the number of ships or port facilities that already have approved Security Plans. However, all of the major UK ports including the passenger operations have been assessed and Port Facility Security Plans are currently being submitted for approval. Passenger and non-passenger ship security plans are currently being submitted to TRANSEC and MCA for approval and verification visits are being undertaken by inspectors to ensure that thy, plans developed are operating effectively.