US Ships (Decommissioning)

HC Deb 19 January 2004 vol 416 cc1011-2W

Norman Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 5 January 2004,Official Report, column 56W on US Ships (Decommissioning), who carried out the routing plans and initial risk assessment for the return of the US ships under tow; what the earliest date the risk assessment determined the ships could safely make a return journey was; and if he will place the (a) risk assessment and (b) routing plans in the Library. [148618]

Mr. Jamieson

The UK took the view that it could be unsafe to return the ships to the US immediately, given the likely winter weather in the Atlantic and the need for a high degree of confidence of fair weather for the duration of the tow. It concluded that a return passage could not be contemplated before the spring. Passages both to the north and south of the United Kingdom have been considered in relation to notional routes which respect mandatory maritime traffic schemes and advising guidance. As weather windows become available in the spring, routing options will be subject to more detailed assessment, once application is made, and copies of such assessments will be placed in the Libraries of the House.