11 July 1991
N Cloke Esq
Secretariat (Naval Staff)b Ministry of Defence Main Building
Whitehall
LONDON
SW1A 2HB
Dear Mr Cloke,
DIEU E
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
FILE
30
London SWIA 2AH
Telephone: 071-
HKC175/1
270 2655
HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER: ENSIGNS
22
1. Thank you for your letter of 21 May. I apologise for the delay in replying but, since your letter concerns matters of Hong Kong law, we have had to consult the Hong Kong Government.
23
2. You should by now have received my letter of 23 May which sets out the background to the establishment of the Hong Kong Shipping Register. Your letter of 21 May raises two further issues: whether warrants conferring the privilege of wearing a defaced blue ensign held by members of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club remain valid after transfer of the yachts to the Hong Kong Shipping Register; and possible complications when members of the Royal Naval Reserve realise that they are no longer able to wear the blue ensign when serving on ships registered in Hong Kong.
3. On the first point, I understand that it is clearly stated in such warrants that they should automatically lapse when the yachts concerned cease to be duly registered as British ships in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894-1958 and any Acts replacing or amending them. Ships registered on the Hong Kong Shipping Register, though still classified as British ships, are no longer registered as British ships. The special ensign warrants in question therefore will have ceased to have effect in respect of Hong Kong registered ships from 3 December 1990 when the Shipping Register was established.
4. Hong Kong Government have noted from the papers enclosed with your letter that the majority of yachts in the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club are not registered but hold a Hong Kong pleasure vessel license and that the Club has accepted this as equivalent to registration as a British ship. They have asked me to draw your attention to the fact
TOMBCV
CC
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.