Shipping: Passenger Safety Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateLord Higgins
Main Page: Lord Higgins (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Higgins's debates with the Department for Transport
(10 years, 7 months ago)
Lords ChamberMy Lords, my understanding is that this exemption is for up to five miles and therefore would not apply in most of the circumstances that the noble Lord has just described. It is for small craft of less than 24 metres which have to be travelling in daylight and in summer only. They are required to have sufficient life rafts for all passengers but additional safety can be provided by buoyancy apparatus.
My Lords, are life rafts generally not preferable to life rings, particularly if the water is cold? Is the saving in this negotiation really significant? Presumably all existing vessels already have the current requirement rather than the reduced one.