of DTI marine surveyors, who would be responsible for
approval of equipment and crew accommodation of ships
entering on a separate Hong Kong register and of
qualifications of foreign officers.
They would be
able to report to the DTI on these matters while
working with the Hong Kong Director of Marine on a day-
to-day basis. Combined with this would be an appreciable
relaxation of our previous line on manning. We should
continue to insist that the master must be British and
hold British qualifications, but the second-in-command
(first officer) could be either British or a bona fide
Hong Kong resident alien who had a British or equivalent
Commonwealth certificate based on examinations taken in
English or, as a further concession, in Chinese.
Chief engineers, second officers and second engineers
of new and transferred ships would be accepted on their
merits; this would involve individual inspection of each
officer's qualifications against guidelines previously
agreed by the UK and Hong Kong Governments.
officers, possessing certificates issued by traditional
maritime countries, might be acceptable at once, while
others might be required to sit an oral or a written
examination. The seconded surveyors would ensure that
standards were maintained.
Some
Finally, to meet objections of UK shipowners, these
arrangements should apply only to owners with unquestioned
Hong Kong residence or connections. Any extension to
other eg. European, Japanese or UK owners would be
for entirely separate consideration in some years time.
/I believe