Aldous helps secure consultation over Ship-to-Ship regulations
Waveney MP Peter Aldous has helped secure a review of the controversial regulation of ship-to-ship oil transfer.
The new regulations rushed through in the last days of the Labour Government would mean that the ship-to-ship transfer of oil is only permitted in harbour authority areas which hold an Oil Transfer Licence. This could have a significant impact on jobs in the Waveney area.
But in a written statement today from the Department of Transport, Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, announced a review will take place to allow for all views to be heard before the legislation comes into force.
Mr Aldous said:
“This is good news as it provides all interested parties the opportunity to put forward their own views. I would urge them to take part in the consultation and to forward their views to me. Doing all we can to retain jobs is most important in these lean times but I do fully understand the need to consider the safety of oil transfer from ships.”
Mr Penning today tabled a Statutory Instrument which defers the regulations from 1 October 2010 to 1 April 2010. The closing date for representations to the consultation is 30th September.