The Merchant Shipping (Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Safety) Regulations 2024

Continuous Synopsis Record

9.—(1) A Company, owner and master must each ensure that a ship to which this regulation applies is not operated unless the ship has been issued with a Continuous Synopsis Record which—

(a) contains the information referred to in regulation 5.3 of Chapter XI-1 (continuous synopsis record);

(b) is in the English, French or Spanish language; and

(c) is in the format contained in the Appendix to IMO Resolution A.959(23)(1).

(2) For ships constructed before 1st July 2004, the Continuous Synopsis Record must provide the history of the ship as from 1st July 2004.

(3) In the case of a United Kingdom ship, changes to the information referred to in regulation 5.3.4 to 5.3.12 of Chapter XI-1, together with the history of the changes, must be provided to the Secretary of State(2) for the purpose of amending the Continuous Synopsis Record.

(4) Pending the issue of an updated version of the Continuous Synopsis Record for a United Kingdom ship—

(a) the Company and the master must each ensure that the changes referred to in paragraph (3), together with the history of the changes, are recorded in the Continuous Synopsis Record; and

(b) the Company must notify the Secretary of State immediately of the amendments made.

(5) The Continuous Synopsis Record must—

(a) be maintained in accordance with guidelines developed by the IMO(3); and

(b) in the case of any existing entries or changes notified to the Secretary of State under paragraph (4)(b), not be modified, deleted, erased or defaced.

(6) If a United Kingdom ship is to be transferred to the flag of another State, the Company must notify the Secretary of State of the name of the State whose flag the ship is to be transferred to.

(7) If a United Kingdom ship is transferred to the flag of another State or is subjected to a change of owner, demise charterer or Company, the Continuous Synopsis Record must be left on board the ship.

(8) If a United Kingdom ship is transferred to the flag of a Convention country, the Secretary of State must, as soon as possible after the transfer takes place, provide to that Convention country—

(a) a copy of the Continuous Synopsis Record relating to the period that the ship was under the flag of the United Kingdom; and

(b) any Continuous Synopsis Records previously issued to the ship by other Convention countries.

(9) If a ship is transferred to the flag of the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State must append the ship’s previous Continuous Synopsis Records to the Continuous Synopsis Record issued to the ship by the Secretary of State.

(10) The Continuous Synopsis Record is subject to each of the following requirements—

(a) it must be kept on board the ship;

(b) it must be readily available for examination at all times.

(11) Where a Continuous Synopsis Record which relates to a United Kingdom ship has been lost, the Company, owner and master must make an application immediately to the Secretary of State for a replacement.

(12) Where an application is made to the Secretary of State under paragraph (11), subject to payment of the prescribed fee, the Secretary of State must issue a replacement Continuous Synopsis Record.

(13) For the purposes of this regulation—

“Continuous Synopsis Record” means the document described as such in regulation 5 of Chapter XI-1 (continuous synopsis record) and issued by the State of a ship’s flag administration(4);

“prescribed fee” means the fee prescribed by the Secretary of State under section 302 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995(5).

(1)

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution A.959(23) was amended by MSC.198(80) and is supplemented by MSC/Circ.1113 (guidance to port State control officers on the non-security related elements of the 2002 SOLAS amendments). These can be obtained in hard copy from the IMO of 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR or from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]), and at https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/AssemblyDocuments/A.959(23).pdf, https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Security/Documents/MSC.198(80).pdf and https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Security/Documents/MSC.Circ.1113.pdf.

(2)

See guidance contained in MSF 5623A. MSF 5623A can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuous-synopsis-record-csr-forms-and-guidance-msf-5623 and can be obtained in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]).

(3)

The guidelines developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are contained in IMO Resolution A.959(23), as amended by MSC.198(80). These guidelines can be obtained in hard copy from the IMO of 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR or from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]). They are also available at https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/AssemblyDocuments/A.959(23).pdf and https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Security/Documents/MSC.198(80).pdf.

(4)

See Marine Guidance Note 660 (M), which is available in hard copy from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) of Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG (telephone [phone] and email [e-mail]) and at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/marine-guidance-notices-mgns.

(5)

The prescribed fee is found in the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1104), which were made under section 302 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and the Hovercraft (General) Order 1972 (S.I. 1972/674).