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Allan Greenland
Bay 2/29
Spring Place
105 Commercial Rd
Southampton
SO15 1EG
United Kingdom

Tel:+44 (0)23 8083 9114
Fax:+44 (0)23 8032 9161
E-mail: Allan.Greenland@mcga.gov.uk

Your ref:                 
Our ref:                 

19 September 2008

Dear Consultee,

Consultation on a Draft Marine Guidance Note (MGN) entitled “Instructions for Fixed CO2 Systems”

Please see the attached draft MGN on Instructions for Fixed CO2 Systems.

This document offers guidance on the use of operating instructions and signage for fixed gas fire-extinguishing systems. It is designed to assist the reader to become competent in the operation of such systems and to be aware of the actions required after gas release to check gas has released correctly. Recent investigations by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) of the Department fort Transport have shown there is room for improvement in the quality and effectiveness of operating instructions and signage associated with these type of systems.

You are invited to make comment on this document either by e-mail to Allan.Greenland@mcga.gov.uk or fax to 023 80 341962 or post to the following address:

Allan Greenland
Marine Technology Unit
Bay 2/27 Spring Place
105, Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG

by noon on the 19 December 2008. After the closing date this consultation will be moved to the Closed Consultations section.

Comments on this Consultation, together with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) responses, will be made available on the MCA’s website, www.mcga.gov.uk within three months of the closing date of this Consultation.

A list of consultees, a note about the Freedom of Information Act and a summary of the criteria for the conduct of consultations are appended to this letter.

If you have any comments about the conduct of this consultation, or feel that it does not comply with the government’s Code of Practice for Consultation, please address your comments to: consultation.coordinator@mcga.gov.uk , fax: +44 023 8032 9122, or by post to: Consultation Co-ordinator, Corporate Secretariat, Bay 3/26, Spring Place, 105 commercial Road Southampton, SO15 1EG. You can use the feedback form at the end of this letter for this purpose. Please note this address should not be used for comments on the subject matter of the consultation.

Yours sincerely

Ian Chenery

Consultation Document

DRAFT MGN: Operating Instructions and Signage for Fixed Gas Fire-Extinguishing Systems

Consultees

The Chamber of Shipping

IMAREST  

Health and Safety Executive

HSCAG

DPSSG

Red Ensign Group

Freedom of Information Act

Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.

The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and in the majority of circumstances; this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

Code of Practice on Consultation

The Code of Practice on Consultation provides guidance on how a Consultation should be conducted. This is structured around six consultation criteria, which are:

  • Consult widely throughout the process, allowing a minimum of 12 weeks for written consultation at least once during the development of the policy.
  • Be clear about what your proposals are, who may be affected, what questions are being asked and the timescale for responses.
  • Ensure that your consultation is clear, concise and widely accessible.
  • Give feedback regarding the responses received and how the consultation process influenced the policy.
  • Monitor your department’s effectiveness at consultation, including through the use of a designated consultation co-ordinator.
  • Ensure your consultation follows better regulation best practice, including carrying out a Regulatory Impact Assessment if appropriate.

A full version of the Code of Practice on Consultation can be found at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file44364.pdf.