+
Wednesday, May 24, 1972
28
The Commission had made this recommendation in order to resolve
doubts over the respective powers and duties of the Government departments
concerned, he added.
He said the inspection of industrial undertakings of this kind
outside registered dockyards was likely to be expensive, and it would take
some little time to provide the necessary staff,
Sir Hugh drew attention to a paragraph of the Report in which the
Commission emphasized that, in making their recommendations, they did not
wish to detract in any way from the primary responsibility that the law
imposed on those in actual charge of the work, that is, the shipbuilder,
ship-repairer or contractor.
Adequacy
Other recommendations made by the Commission include a review of the
adequacy of the single fire boat now stationed at Aberdeen, the provision of
improved laboratory facilities for the testing of new materials used in
construction work and wider facilities for the provisions of the Dangerous
Goods Ordinance, and the possible danger of aome new and untried materials,
He said plans already drawn up would cover the first two of these
recommendations and the third would also be followed up.
As regards the safety of floating restaurants generally, Sir Hugh said,
the Commission had noted that some of these restaurants had been in operation
for many years and appeared to have clear fire records, and that it might well
be that none of them currently posed any undue fire risk.
However, he said, the Commission had made one recommendation, which had
been accepted, that the Marine Department should continue to be the authority for the inspection and licensing of these restaurants, but that, when issuing or renewing certificates for them, the department should take into account the
requirements that the Fire Services Department would consider necessary for
restaurants on land.
/29