Clause 1 - Power to give effect to revisions of the international arrangements relating to compensation for oil pollution from ships
Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport; South Thanet, Labour)
One that immediately comes to mind might relate to a requirement that shipowners take adequate steps to ensure that they have the funds to contribute to the compensation fund. That might be an offence of the sort that is covered, but if any more come to mind in the next few minutes, perhaps I will give them to the hon. Gentleman when we debate clause stand part.
I can give one categorical assurance: any offences that we introduce under the Bill will not be of the category to which the hon. Gentleman is referring. We will ensure that they do not put inappropriate pressure on British mariners and that they relate only to the compensation regime, rather than to the acts covered by the EU directive.