River safety measures rejected

The Government has rejected two key safety recommendations made by Lord Justice Clarke in his inquiry into the Marchioness riverboat disaster.

Relatives of the 51 people who died in the tragedy said today they were disappointed the lessons had not been learned.

Ministers revealed their decision as they released a progress report on improvements made since the Thames Safety Report was published in 1999.

In that report, Lord Justice Clarke called for a single agency, either the Greater London Authority or the Port of London Authority, to take responsibility for ensuring search-and-rescue cover on the Thames.

He also called for a new, wideranging legal duty on businesses to ensure that their activities did not expose anyone to safety risks.

Both calls were repeated in last March's report, also by Lord Justice Clarke, into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the Marchioness in 1989. Both have now been turned down.

Whitehall officials said the decisions were taken after the UK Search and Rescue Committee opposed putting a single agency in charge of the Thames. Three lifeboats, staffed by volunteers, now patrol the river.

Margaret Lockwood- Croft, whose 26-year-old son Sean died in the tragedy, said the situation was confused because the riverbank runs through different boroughs, adding that the Port of London Authority runs both safety and commerce on the river, leading to a potential conflict of interest.

She said: "We are disappointed that they will not accept this recommendation, which Lord Justice Clarke put a lot of thought into."

The position on business owners and safety risks will be considered alongside wider issues of corporate responsibility which may lead to legislation in the future.

Of 74 safety recommendations made in the Clarke reports, 35 are judged to be "completed". A further 33 are "well in hand", including calls to impose minimum requirements for escape windows, stairway widths, emergency exit lights and furniture on passenger vessels.

Mrs Lockwood-Croft called for an independent assessor to monitor progress on the recommendations and for time limits to be set for their implementation. Today's progress report was produced by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

One recommendation not yet fully implemented is the call for "black box" recorders similar to those used on aeroplanes to be fitted to all cargo vessels to help accident investigators.

The International Maritime Organisation is examining the issue but the progress report warns of a "difficulty in reaching international agreement on the technical standards".

The Government has been accused by victims' relatives of breaking a promise to fund research into black box technology.

The Marchioness Action Group wants recommendations on safety training for crew members to be implemented as a matter of urgency.

Only two of the seven points on training are judged to be "completed" in the progress report while the rest are classed as "agreed but not yet completed". Other recommendations are still being considered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The pleasure boat Marchioness sank near Blackfriars Bridge in August 1989 following a collision with the dredger Bowbelle. A full public inquiry was not ordered until 1999.