cowards controlling international registers. Annex 4 shows that the effect of including the Dependent Territories would be to arrest the decline in the UK's position in the tonnage league and help secure our position in the top table at IMO. Some objections. might be raised by some Member States as they might have been if individual Dependent Territories had been nominated as Associate
Members. The
The fact that the Territories, (save Hong Kong) were
being included en bloc would probably temper any such objections.
15.
There would be а cost to the UK of such representation. First, the Department would need to maintain close links with the marine administrations of the Dependent Territories and to consult on IMO matters. Second, including the Dependent Territory fleets within the UK's assessment will reduce the amount by which the UK assessment to IMO would otherwise fall (as its own registered
fleet diminishes). The effect is illustrated in the table of our
recent IMO assessments at Annex 5. The extra cost on this account in 1988 would be between £50,000 and £70,000. The Department could
meet this from the current PES baseline.
Summary
16. The main points are:
(a) as a policy objective the UK should seek to protect its status within IMO. Tonnage is a major determinant of status, including the tonnage of the Dependent Territories in the UK's assessment would strengthen the UK's position in the 'top
eight' league.
(b) Concern has been expressed in IMO that the Dependent Territories make no contribution to the IMO Budget nor apply
its Conventions. The Merchant Shipping Bill will impose controls on the registers of the Dependent Territories related
in part to their ability to administer and apply IMO Conventions. These controls will put into sharper relief, the
Secretary of State's responsibilities for the performance of
the registers.
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