Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act 1949

14 Certificates of Convention ships not registered in United Kingdom

(1) The Minister may, at the request of the government of a country to which the Safety Convention applies, issue in respect of a ship registered in that country any certificate the issue of which in respect of British ships registered in the United Kingdom is authorised .under the preceding provisions of this Act if he is satisfied that it is proper for him to do so; and a certificate issued in pursuance of such a request and containing a statement that it has been so issued shall have effect for the purposes of this Act as if it had been issued by the said government and not by the Minister.

(2) The Minister shall make such regulations as appear to him to be necessary for the purpose of securing that certificates issued in accordance with the Safety Convention by the government of any country other than the United Kingdom in respect of Safety Convention ships not registered in the United Kingdom, or having effect under the preceding subsection as if so issued, shall be accepted as having the same force as corresponding certificates issued by the Minister under this Act; and any certificate required by those regulations to be so treated is in this Act referred to as an " accepted Safety Convention certificate."

(3) A surveyor of ships, for the purpose of verifying—

(a) that there is in force in respect of a Safety Convention ship not registered in the United Kingdom an accepted Safety Convention certificate ; or

(b) that the condition of the hull, equipments and machinery of any such Safety Convention ship corresponds substantially with the particulars shown in such a certificate ; or,

(c) except where such a certificate states that the ship is wholly exempt from the provisions of the Safety Convention relating to radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony, that the number, grades and qualifications of radio officers or operators on board correspond with those shown in the certificate ; or

(d) that any conditions on which such a certificate, being the equivalent of an exemption certificate, is issued are complied with,

shall have all the powers of a Ministry of Transport inspector under the Merchant Shipping Acts.

(4) Where there is attached to an accepted Safety Convention certificate in respect of a Safety Convention passenger steamer not registered in the United Kingdom a memorandum which—

(a) has been issued by or under the authority of the government of the country in which the steamer is registered ; and

(b) modifies for the purpose of any particular voyage, in view of the number of persons carried on that voyage, the particulars stated in the certificate with respect to life-saving appliances,

the certificate shall have effect for the purpose of that voyage as if it were modified in accordance with the memorandum.