Marine Operations Code for Ports: Bulletin No.30 (July 2001)

Bulletin No.30 - July 2001

Port Marine Safety Code

The Port Marine Safety Code was published on 13 March 2000 (ISBN: 1 85112 365 2) and is £10

The publications home page contains information on how and where you can obtain publications produced by the Department for Transport.

NB: No Bulletin was issued during the Election campaign in June 2001.

Implementation

The Department will be writing to all competent harbour authorities to review expected progress by the end of the implementation period set by the Code at 31 December 2001. They will be sent at the same time a summary of progress on central initiatives, which is also given in this Bulletin; and offered advice on any outstanding issues likely to impede completion on time.

The Department has resumed contact with a number of small competent harbour authorities with whom it has previously discussed the extent of powers possibly in excess of requirements, including some where implementation seems unlikely to be completed in time.

The Department does not propose to prescribe the form in which authorities announce completion of implementation - the Code is sufficiently clear on what is required; but it is ready to offer advice if required.

National Occupational Standards

A national occupational standard for pilots has been accredited. BPIT have also used DfEE funding to set up a group which has derived from the standard a model syllabus for maritime colleges. This is about to be released. Work has resumed on the development of assessment criteria for pilotage authorisation, including the identification of seafaring qualifications which may be taken to demonstrate particular competencies. A draft for consultation will be issued during the summer.

Work is also in hand on draft national occupational standards for harbour masters. Work on VTS operators and PEC guidelines is pending.

Guide to Good Practice

The Department has consulted representative bodies on a version of the draft incorporating comments on the published 2nd draft. The consensus is that it should now be finalised for publication by the end of the year substantially in its present form, subject to a final round of consultation with these bodies up to the end of September (no further drafts will be published).

It was considered that the first edition should be reviewed after a year or more in use, when a revision could also reflect completed implementation of the Code and experience of its operation.

The Department would still like to include in the first edition a wide range representative range of examples of points throughout the Guide and invites submission of these as soon as possible. Examples submitted so far are predominantly from a few authorities.

Representative bodies

A (half-day) meeting of representative bodies will be convened in the first half of October It will be invited to consider three items -

- the outcome of the monitoring of harbour authorities at the 30th June 'waypoint'

- progress with national occupational standards;

- the final draft of the Guide to Good Practice, and in particular the sufficiency of examples.

Legislation

The Minister for Shipping (Keith Hill) announced (on 3 May) that the previously announced proposed Safety Bill will include port-related items.

These are -

• to enable all harbour authorities to issue general directions;
• an order-making power to enable authorities to relinquish pilotage and other powers for which an Act is now required - including a procedure to wind up a harbour authority;
• additional means of regulating misuse of PECs, including provision for their suspension pending investigation;
• a reserve power for the Secretary of State to direct harbour authorities in relation to marine operations.

It is proposed to publish the draft Bill in the usual way later in the year. Draft Bills are accompanied by a consultation paper, and explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment.

Market access to port services Directive

The Department has consulted widely on draft Directive from the European Commission promoting market access to port services, which includes marine operations services. It is assessing responses and the position to be adopted by the Government. Details of the draft, including all the published documentation, are on the shipping section of the Department's website.