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TELNO 1684
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YOUR TELNO 2753: NORTH ATLANTIC ICE PATROL (NAIP)
1. The UK is a Party to the NAIP Agreement which has not been extended to Hong Kong. However Article 2 of the Agreement extends its application to begin underline vessels end underline registered in territories to which the United Kingdom has extended the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1948 (SOLAS). Under the terms of Article 1 of the NAIP Agreement the UK is responsible for the contributions of territories to which it has extended SOLAS 1948.
2.
The UK extended SOLAS 1948 to Hong Kong on 7 April 1953. SOLAS 1948 is no longer in force but the same provisions relating to the operation of the ice patrol have been carried forward into SOLAS 1974. The UK extended the provisions of SOLAS 1974 to Hong Kong on 25 November 1981.
3.
China is not a party to NAIP. HKD are investigating whether the Agreement would permit involvement by Hong Kong after 1997. We would be grateful for your thoughts on whether you would wish participation to continue after 1997.
4.
Copies of the relevant passages from SOLAS 48 (Command Paper 7492) and the NAIP Agreement (Command Paper 9864, Treaty Series No 43 (1956)) (only just received in FCO) follow by fax (to Foakes, ILD).
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