The Merchant Shipping (Mandatory Ship Reporting) Regulations 1996

Made: 5th July 1996

Laid before Parliament: 11th July 1996

Coming into force: 1st August 1996

The Secretary of State for Transport, after consulting the persons referred to in section 86(4) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995[^f00001], in exercise of the powers conferred by section 85(1) (a) and (b), (3), (5) and (7) and section 86(1) of that Act, and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:—

Citation and Commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Mandatory Ship Reporting) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 1st August 1996.

Interpretation

2

In these Regulations:—

• “Admiralty List of Radio Signals” means the publication of that name published by the Hydrographer of the Navy in force at the date of these Regulations, and any amendment, correction or replacement, which the Hydrographer considers relevant from time to time;

• “adopted ship reporting system” means any ship reporting system that has been established by a Government or Governments after it has been adopted by the International Maritime Organization as complying with all the requirements of regulation 8–1 of Chapter V of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention 1974, set out in Part 1, 2 or 3 of Volume 6 of the Admiralty List of Radio Signals and annotated therein as `Mandatory System under SOLAS Regulation V/8–1';

• “the Hydrographer of the Navy” means the person for the time being appointed to that office by the Admiralty Board;

• “United Kingdom adopted ship reporting system” means an adopted ship reporting system which was submitted to the International Maritime Organisation by the United Kingdom (whether acting alone, or jointly with another State).

Duty to comply with adopted ship reporting systems

3

• (1) The master of every United Kingdom ship shall comply with any adopted ship reporting system which applies in relation to his ship, and he shall report to the appropriate authority specified in the system all information required in accordance with the provisions of the system.

• (2) The master of every ship which is not a United Kingdom ship shall comply when in United Kingdom waters with any United Kingdom adopted ship reporting systems and he shall report to the appropriate authority specified in the system all information in accordance with the provisions of the system.

Offences and penalties

4

• (1) A master of a ship who contravenes any requirement of regulation 3 shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or on conviction on indictment to a fine.

• (2) It shall be a defence to any charge under these Regulations for the accused to prove he took all necessary steps to avoid commission of the offence.

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Goschen — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, — Department of Transport — 5th July 1996

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations implement Regulation 8-1 of Chapter V of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention 1974, which was added by Maritime Safety Committee Resolution MSC.31 (63) adopted on 23rd May 1994.

The Regulations require United Kingdom ships to comply with ship reporting systems adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) pursuant to Regulation 8-1 of Chapter V of SOLAS which are specified in Part 1, 2 or 3 of Volume 6 of the Admiralty List of Radio Signals and annotated as `Mandatory System under SOLAS Regulation V/8-1'. Other ships are required to comply with any such system which was submitted to IMO by the United Kingdom, when in United Kingdom waters (i.e. all waters landward of the seaward limits of the United Kingdom’s territorial waters).

The Admiralty List of Radio Signals is obtainable from branded Admiralty distributors as listed in the Catalogue of Admiralty Charts and Other Hydrographic Publications (available from the Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Way, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2DN). Regulation 8-1 of Chapter V of SOLAS is obtainable from the International Maritime Organization, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1995 c. 21.