16. Regulations 3, 5, 6 and 11 to 14 shall not apply to any discharge into the sea of a noxious liquid substance or unassessed liquid substance or mixture containing any such substance—
(a)which is necessary for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea, or
(b)which results from damage to a ship or its equipment, provided that
(i)all reasonable precautions were taken after the occurrence of the damage or discovery of the discharge to prevent or minimise the discharge; and
(ii)neither the owner nor the master acted either with intent to cause damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result, or
(c)where the substance or mixture in question is approved by the Secretary of State for use in combating specific pollution incidents in order to minimise the damage from pollution and the discharge is made with the approval of the Secretary of State or, if the discharge is to be made in waters within the jurisdiction of a state other than the United Kingdom, with the approval of the government of that state.