The Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance is to be amended to provide a more expeditious means of giving effect to the technical and operational provisions related to the prevention and control of marine pollution, a Marine Department spokesman said today (Wednesday).
The Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, which give effect to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, are subject to frequent amendments due to regular updating of provisions in the Convention to reflect improvements on ship building technology and safety standards.

"An amendment Bill, to be gazetted on Friday (March 19), proposes that the Secretary for Economic Services (SES) be made the authority for making regulations under the Ordinance, as he is responsible for maritime policy and has been the authority for making regulations under other similar maritime Ordinances," the spokesman said.

The Bill also proposes that SES should be given the supplementary power to make regulations for the implementation of international agreements related to the Convention in future.

A new subsection would be added to specifically provide that regulations made under the Ordinance might include provisions for the boarding of any ships within Hong Kong waters for inspections on prevention and control of pollution by oil and other marine pollutants, the spokesman said.

He added that for consistency, the Bill would also amend the definition of "oil" in section 2 of the Ordinance so that it would be in line with the definition set out in the Convention.

The Bill also transfers from the Chief Executive to the Director of Marine the power to give directions to the owner, the master and other related persons of a ship in case of shipping casualties involving a risk of pollution.

The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on March 31.

Wednesday, 17 March 1999