194
Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1949
CH. 43
403
chant Shipping
20. In section twenty-three of the Merchant Shipping (Safety Amendment of and Load Line Conventions) Act. 1932 (which restricts the load- s. 23 of Mer- ing of certain passenger steamers by reference to the submersion (Safety and Load of the appropriate subdivision load line), for the words "sub- Line Conven- merge the appropriate subdivision load line" there shall be tions) Act, 1932, substituted the words "submerge in salt water the appropriate ing of passenger subdivision load line ".
2. (1) His Majesty in Council may prescribe what signals shall be used by ships as signals of distress.
12 Rules may be made by the Minister prescribing the cir- cumstances in which, and the purposes for which, any signal prescribed by Order in Council under the last preceding sub- section is to be used and the circumstances in which it is to be revoked.
(3) If the master of a ship uses or displays or causes or permits any person under his authority to use or display--
(a) any signal prescribed by Order in Council under this. section except in the circumstances and for the pur- poses prescribed by the rules made under this section;
or
the ful
(b) any private signal, whether registered or not, that is liable to be mistaken for any signal so prescribed by Order in Council,
he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds and shall further be liable to pay compensation for any labour undertaken, risk incurred or loss sustained in consequence of the signal's having been supposed to be a signal of distress; and that compensation may, without prejudice to any other remedy, be recovered in the same manner as salvage.
the
(4) Nothing in subsection (4) of section twenty-four of the Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Act, 1932 (which requires persons in charge of wireless stations to give facilities for the reception of reports relating to dangers to pavigation), shall interfere with the transmission of signals pracoribed under this section.
relating to load-
steamers.
Signals of distress.
22.-(1) The master of a British ship registered in the United Obligation to Kingdom, on receiving at sea a signal of distress or information assist vessels,
ctc., in distress. from any source that a vessel or aircraft is in distress, shali pro- ceed with all speed to the assistance of the persons in distress (informing them if possible that he is doing so) unless he is un- able, or in the special circumstances of the case considers it unreasonable or unnecessary, to do so, or unless he is released under the provisions of subsection (3) or subsection (4) of this section.