SS Gairsoppa: Salvage

Transport written question – answered at on 31 October 2011.

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Photo of James Wharton James Wharton Conservative, Stockton South

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) how many companies bid for the contract to salvage precious metal from the SS Gairsoppa;

(2) how her Department intends to monitor the recovery of silver from the SS Gairsoppa.

Photo of Mike Penning Mike Penning The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport

The Department for Transport (DfT) ran a competitive tender for the salvage of the SS Gairsoppa in 2009. Three salvage companies had shown an interest in making recoveries and were subsequently invited to tender. Following an assessment of the bids, Odyssey Marine Exploration was awarded the salvage contract as it offered the best rate of return to HMG.

DfT's standard salvage agreement/contract requires the contractor to allow the Department's representatives on board during a salvage operation, to monitor any recoveries and to nominate which port the salvage vessel will use to discharge the recovered items, which may be placed in a secure site and subject to further inspection by officials.

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