Clause 9
Energy Bill
2:15 pm
Brian Iddon (Bolton South East, Labour)
I am sorry I have not raised this matter with the Minister previously but it has only just occurred to me during this session. I do not know whether the drafting agents have considered this either, but I think it is worth raising.
In the 2002-2003 session of Parliament, I steered through a private Member’s Bill which became the Marine Safety Act 2003. I had the pleasure to work with the late Lord Donaldson and learned a lot about safety at sea. My point is that, undoubtedly, some of these transfers of gas will occur using shipping and could be transferred to an onshore facility—it could even conceivably be transferred to an offshore facility such as a spent oil rig or gas rig.
Lord Donaldson’s two major reports on safety at sea led to the setting-up of a person called SOSREP—the Secretary of State’s Representative, representing the Secretary of State for Transport. Together with my legislation and Lord Donaldson’s legislation, that has given SOSREP the powers to direct captains of ships to do whatever it is intended they should do to avoid a catastrophe at sea. These are enormous powers and we are further advanced in this country than any other in the world.
My point is that, if this Bill is giving this Secretary of State powers of direction, is there going to be any conflict with the powers of direction that SOSREP has—who is currently Robin Middleton, based in Southampton. I can conceive of situations where these powers of direction may, indeed, conflict with the powers of direction of SOSREP. I realise the Minister may have difficulty giving me an answer today, but I think this matter should be considered seriously before the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.