7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of State may exempt from any of the provisions of these Regulations—
(a)a ship engaged on an international voyage between near neighbouring ports so long as—
(i)it remains engaged on such voyage; and
(ii)the Secretary of State and the governments of the states in which such ports are situated are satisfied that the sheltered nature or conditions of such voyage between such ports make it unreasonable or impracticable to apply the provisions of these Regulations;
(b)a ship which embodies features of a novel kind if research into the development of those features and their incorporation in ships engaged on international voyages may be seriously impeded if the ship had to comply with the requirements of these Regulations; and
(c)any ship which does not normally engage on international voyages but is, in exceptional circumstances, required to undertake a single international voyage.
(2) An exemption under paragraph (1) may be granted subject to such safety requirements as the Secretary of State thinks fit to ensure the overall safety of the ship.
(3) Where an exemption is granted subject to safety requirements, the exemption ceases to have effect if those requirements are not complied with.