Ship Recycling (Facilities and Requirements for Hazardous Materials on Ships) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Lord Bradshaw Excerpts

Wednesday 18th November 2020 Grand Committee

[Lord Bradshaw (LD) [V]]

My Lords, I do not believe that this measure should take us very long. The dismantling of old ships is an extremely hazardous process and, as the Minister just said, very detrimental to the health of those involved. By the time ships are old enough to be broken up, however, they have probably dropped away from the register of the most compliant countries and from the register of companies that have strong trade union representatives to enforce compliance with the standards.

I do not wish to delay in any way what is proposed. I understand that in Northern Ireland people cannot set up ship-breaking facilities that would in any way offend against health and safety or other laws that pertain to ship owning. I give these regulations my support. I do not believe that it is necessary that we should leave the European Union—we have said so many times—but I cannot find anything to which I object in the regulations.