While secondment of some of the Department's Marine Surveyors to . Hong Kong would seem desirable, this could give rise to problems if, for example, they found practices incompatible with our own. They could not instruct the Director of Marine to discontinue such practices or equally they could not be expected to carry out tests on equipment by procedures less rigorous than ours. It would be important therefore to establish clearly what their official status would be.
If
It is untrue for Hong Kong shipowners to assert that it is impossible to comply with United Kingdom requirements for ship building in Japan, in respect of approval of items of equipment and materials. Many ships for the UK register have been built by United Kingdom shipowners in Japanese yards which comply with our requirements. what is being suggested is complete acceptance without check of Japanese equipment and materials, this should be rejected. Otherwise the Department would find it impossible in the event of a casualty occurring which was attributed to some deficiency in equipment or materials to defend the Minister's position and responsibility before a court of inquiry.
Crew Accommodation Standards
No additional comments.
Additional Comment'
Apart from the conditions indicated in Annex A, Hong Kong legislation in relation to the conditions of service of seafarers serving on Hong Kong registered ships should as at present be comparable to United Kingdom legislation, i,e. should include requirements as to the method of payment of wages and accounting therefor, the provision of medical treatment; the repatriation, relief and maintenance of seafarers left behind for any reason, minimum scales of food and water, etc. It is understood that the. Hong Kong Government is at present considering the revision of its Merchant Shipping Ordinance to bring it into line as far as practicable with the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1970.
Finally, the increased number of ships registered under a separate Hong Kong register will throw additional work on to MMO Superintendents in the United Kingdom and on HM Consuls and Shipping Masters at ports abroad when they are called upon to deal with crew matters on such ships.
3.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.