Herald Of Free Enterprise Disaster And Ferry Safety

EDM number 601 in 1996-97, proposed by Paul Flynn on 04/03/1997.

That this House condemns the failure of the British shipping industry to remedy the inherent instability of roll-on roll-off ferries; is astonished that 10 years after the 'Herald of Free Enterprise' disaster, the Marine Safety Agency is not aware of any British vessel that has implemented the safety measures agreed at Stockholm; notes that five vessels only may be improved by 1998 and that 60 ferries, 60 per cent. of those using British ports, will not meet these basic requirements until October 2002; and calls for an accelerated programme which will employ the far superior safety devices already fitted to Norwegian ships.

This motion has been signed by a total of 42 MPs.