The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 1997

Statutory Instruments

1997 No. 1910

MARINE POLLUTION

The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 1997

Made

31st July 1997

Laid before Parliament

11th August 1997

Coming into force

1st September 1997

The Secretary of State for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred by article 3 of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Order 1983(1) and article 2 of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution) (Law of the Sea Convention) Order 1996(2) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 and shall come into force on 1st September 1997.

2.  The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1996(3) shall be amended as follows.

3.  In regulation 7(6)(a) for “fitting arrangements” there shall be substituted “fittings, arrangements”.

4.  In regulation 8(1)(b) after “Secretary of State” there shall be inserted “, other than the direct replacement of fittings or equipment”.

5.  In regulation 14(2) for “(2) and (6)” there shall be substituted “(3) and (6)”.

6.  In regulation 16(3)(b) for “Paragraph (2)(a)” there shall be substituted “Paragraph (2)(b)”.

7.  In regulation 32(3)(b) for “platform” there shall be substituted “machinery space”.

8.  In regulation 36(2) for “£50,000” there shall be substituted “£250,000”.

9.  In regulation 37(3)(c)(i) and (ii) for “£55,000” there shall be substituted “£255,000”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Glenda Jackson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

31st July 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1996. They increase to £250,000 the maximum fine on summary conviction for an offence of making illegal discharges of oil from ships and to £255,000 the maximum amount of security an owner or master accused of the offence has to give to secure release of the ship. The Regulations also correct minor errors in the principal Regulations.

(1)

S.I. 1983/1106, amended by S.I. 1985/2002, S.I. 1991/2885 and S.I. 1993/1580. The provisions that can be made under the Order were varied by section 7(6) and (7) of the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 (c. 28).

(2)

S.I. 1996/282.

(3)

S.I. 1996/2154.