Constitution of Commission

Part of Merchant Shipping Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 30 March 1979.

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Photo of Mr David Hunt Mr David Hunt , Wirral 12:00, 30 March 1979

I hope that we have always had the public interest in mind when we have been considering the setting up of the commission. I am sure that, on reflection, my hon. Friend would recognise that, in particular, as he has read the proceedings in Committee. I would, however, like to support him on one matter, and we made this point in Committee. We would have much preferred to see a separate pilotage Bill. I have always felt—and I have made this point several times to the Minister—that it would have been far better to amend the Merchant Shipping Act 1911 by a separate pilotage Bill, but it must be recognised that we have been considering this matter since at least 1973. We have a consensus now and we must be very careful not to lose it, because it is a vital consensus.

I am sure that this is not the last occasion on which we shall be discussing pilotage, because we now have a number of things to do over the establishment of the commission as soon as the new Parliament is convened. I have expressed the view that we need a consolidating pilotage Bill. Some of the provisions have been rather piecemeal and I would like to see an opportunity provided to discuss a new consolidating Bill at an early opportunity. I understand that work is going ahead on that at the moment.

I hope that my hon. Friend will accept from me—and from my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich, who intervened—that at no stage has Trinity House wished us to remove clauses 1 to 13. That has never been communicated to me. I am sure that, on reflection, nobody would put that forward, for we should then lose what I believe to be a vital consensus, which not only has the interests of the industry at heart but also has the interests of the public and the safety of mariners paramount in it.