Chairman’s Report 01/06

January 15th, 2006 by JCB
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Chairman’s Report

I am writing this on behalf of our Chairman, Les, who is currently not available due to family ill health. I’m sure that you will all join me in sending him our thoughts and best wishes, during these difficult times.

Section committee continue to be fully committed, and we are currently assisting our colleagues in Belfast and Clyde, along with our long running assistance with Spurn Pilots, and SE Wales.

The situation in Belfast is nearing a conclusion, and I have been asked to pass on thanks to Dave Devey. I hope that Les will be able to report fully in the next issue.  A situation is developing on the Clyde, where it is anticipated that the next pilot recruit will be from within the port structure, and does not have the previous pre-entry qualifications. At this stage I would not want to report further.

We continue to meet the DfT on a regular basis, and they have been given the latest draft of our proposals for amendments to the Pilotage Act.

Don Cockrill, Avald Wymark, Gareth Rees and Brian Wilson continue to represent us with the Port Marine Safety Code (PMSC), National Occupational

Standards (NOS) and Pilot Exeption Certificate (PEC) issues, Nigel Allen has become the front man for MarNIS. The T&TC have a full agenda here. It would appear that we may now be moving towards an involvement with PSSL (formerly BPIT), and have been invited to a meeting on May 25^th.

As I write this John Pearn and Paul Haysom are attending the 40^th EMPA General Meeting in Antwerp. EMPA contributed towards the rejection of the second port services directive; and, although a Lloyds List article reported it was “buried”, a more recent article suggests that it may not yet be dead – it is rumoured that there will be a third attempt to introduce a Port Access Directive in autumn. We await the Directive in the autumn.

We are currently in the position of handing over the hosting and running of the UKMPA web site to a professional company, and I would like to give my personal thanks to Julian Lancaster (Tees) for his work over the years. Hopefully we will have a more used web site, with such things as circular letters being fully available, and other interactive areas. A separate circular will be sent giving details.  The situation with the PNPF moves ever closer (I feel) to a court case – we now have QC’s giving differing opinions – and one saying I have heard (from another source) is “that we don’t know what the law is, until a judge tells us”. I’m sure that Debbie will touch upon it in her report. Richard Williamson, as Chairman of the trustees, has taken on a huge task, and thanks must go to his colleagues in Boston for their support.

We look forward to the Interim Delegate Conference on May 25^th, by which time we hope to be able to report more fully on the on-going situations. Can I just remind you that Conference 2006 has been moved to November 15^th/16^th, just prior to the IMPA Congress, November 20^th/24^th.

Joe Wilson, Vice Chairman