Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997

4 (1) Section 258 of the 1995 Act (powers to inspect ships and their equipment, etc.) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)—

(a) for the words from the beginning to “Chapter) or” there is substituted “For the purposes of seeing that the provisions of this Act other than sections 131 to 141 and sections 143 to 151 and the provisions of regulations and rules made under this Act (other than those sections) are complied with or”,

(b) after “go on board a ship” there is inserted “in the United Kingdom or in United Kingdom waters”, and

(c) the words “other than Chapter II of Part VI” and “(other than that Chapter)”, in the second place where they occur, are omitted.

(3) After subsection (1) there is inserted—

“(1A) The powers conferred by subsection (1) above are not exercisable in relation to a qualifying foreign ship while the ship is exercising—

(a) the right of innocent passage, or

(b) the right of transit passage through straits used for international navigation.”.

(4) In subsection (2), for “the United Kingdom” there is substituted “United Kingdom waters”.