Issue or endorsement of International Load Line Certificates by another Government and on behalf of other Contracting Governments
15.—(1) The Secretary of State may request a Contracting Government—
(a)to survey a United Kingdom ship to which these Regulations apply, and
(b)to issue, or authorise the issue of, or endorse, or authorise the endorsement of, an International Load Line Certificate in accordance with the requirements of the 1966 Convention in respect of that ship if the Contracting Government is satisfied that the ship complies with the applicable Convention requirements.
(2) Where an International Load Line Certificate is issued pursuant to paragraph (1) the Secretary of State is to be treated as the Assigning Authority in relation to it.
(3) When requested to do so by a Contracting Government, the Secretary of State—
(a)may cause a survey to be carried out in respect of a ship to which these Regulations apply, and
(b)must, subject to payment of any appropriate fee, issue or endorse an International Load Line Certificate in respect of that ship, in accordance with the applicable Convention requirements, if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the ship complies with the applicable Convention requirements.
(4) An International Load Line Certificate issued pursuant to paragraph (3) must contain a statement that it has been issued at the request of the Contracting Government and that it has the same effect as a certificate issued by the Contracting Government who made the request referred to in paragraph (3).
(5) The Secretary of State must send as soon as possible to the Contracting Government who made the request referred to in paragraph (3) a copy of—
(a)the International Load Line Certificate,
(b)the survey report used for computing the freeboard, and
(c)a copy of the computations.
(6) The Secretary of State must not issue an International Load Line Certificate in respect of a ship which—
(a)is registered in a country whose government is not a Contracting Government, or
(b)is not registered, but is entitled to fly the flag of a country whose government is not a Contracting Government.