Published on: 03 August 2023
The MCA has released an amendment outlining changes of the Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons on Board Passenger Ships) Regulations 1999 (as amended) (“the 1999 Regulations”) brought into effect by the Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons Onboard Passenger Ships) Regulations 2023 (“the 2023 Regulations”) in particular the amendments changes include:
a) Delay of the deadline date for electronic reporting by two years until 20 December 2025;
b) A re-worded exemption provision to increase flexibility, and allow the Secretary of State, through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), greater discretion in the exemption of passenger ships from any or all of the Regulations;
c) Adjustment of wording in the 1999 Regulations as amended by the Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons on Board Passenger Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 to clarify obligations relating to the retention of personal data;
d) Correction of errors so that the 1999 Regulations (as amended) refer to “persons”; instead of “passengers” and so the reference to EU member states now refers to other countries subject to the obligations of the Convention to reflect the fact that the UK has now left the EU.
Find out more about the changes here: MSN 1794 (M) Amendment 2: Counting and registration of persons on board passenger ships – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
