Printed (by Authority) by CORRIE Ltd., 48 Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man. REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF HOUSE OF KEYS Douglas, Tuesday, 24th November 1998 at 10.00 a.m. Present: Isle of Man Government to run the Isle of Man Steam The Speaker (the Hon N Q Cringle) (Rushen); Packet Company, nor, I do not believe, is it my place to be Mr L I Singer and Hon A R Bell (Ramsey); Hon the spokesman for the company, but as I understand the R E Quine OBE (Ayre); Mr J D Q Cannan (Michael); situation from the Steam Packet, the figures quoted in the Hon H Hannan (Peel); Mr W A Gilbey (Glenfaba); hon. member's question are incorrect and the company Mr S C Rodan (Garff); Hon D North (Middle); remains confident of its ability to maintain its services to Hon R K Corkill and Mr G T Cannell (Onchan); and from the Island. Messrs J R Houghton and R W Henderson (Douglas North); Hon D C Cretney and Mr A C Duggan (Douglas Mr Singer: Mr Speaker, could I ask the Chief Minister, South); Mr R P Braidwood and Mrs B J Cannell (Douglas would you not agree, however, that reliance on what you East); Messrs J P Shimmin and A F Downie (Douglas might call a fair-weather vessel in the winter on the Irish West); Hon J A Brown (Castletown); Hon D J Gelling Sea is proving to be either extremely poor professional (Malew and Santon); Sir Miles Walker CBE LLD (hc), judgement or a could-not-care-less attitude to the people and Mrs P M Crowe (Rushen); with Prof T StJ N Bates, of this Island who have little choice but to rely on the Steam Secretary of the House. Packet's policy for providing what is becoming a poor- quality service with the SeaCat? The Chaplain took the prayers. Mr Gelling: Well, Mr Speaker, again from figures that I have gleaned I have found that in fact the significant Leave of Absence wave height exceeds three metres less than 10 per cent on average during the winter and that the Steam Packet has The Speaker: Hon. members, the member for Onchan, had 96.8 per cent reliability with its fast craft up to the end Mr Karran, has permission for leave of absence this of October and in so doing with the fast craft they have morning. been able to put on additional services, and I am again informed that this has increased its passenger carrying by 17 per cent since 1996 and vehicle carrying by 48 per cent. So basically what I am saying from the figures that I have Irish Sea Sailings — Cancellations been given is that it would appear that they are carrying — Question by Mr Singer more vehicles, carrying more passengers and of course providing more services. The Speaker: So we turn to our order paper and we commence with the questions. I call upon the hon. member Mrs Cannell: Mr Speaker, is the Chief Minister aware for Ramsey, Mr Singer. that the deputy leader of Liverpool City Council described the SeaCat service as a humiliation to that city and does Mr Singer: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish to ask the he not think that a similar unreliable service to the Isle of Chief Minister: Man may also be a humiliation to this nation and cause irreversible damage to our reputation as a tourist In view of the fact that 56 out of a total of 120 destination? scheduled Irish Sea sailings by the SuperSeaCat II in October were cancelled due to the wave height being over The Speaker: Chief Minister, we are getting very only three metres, are you confident that the Lady of Mann can loosely connected to the question but I leave you to cope adequately with the likely level of such cancellations respond, sir. of SeaCat journeys to both the Isle of Man and Dublin this winter? Mr Gelling: I am not aware of the gentleman or lady in Liverpool and the statement but I would think perhaps that The Speaker: I call upon the Chief Minister to reply. he could be referring to the fact of what Liverpool used to be and the huge ships that used to be in the Mersey and I Mr Gelling: Yes, Mr Speaker, at the outset I think I suppose the SeaCat is only a very small craft. But the thing should make it clear that it is not part of the function of the is we were aware of what the fast craft was going to do, Leave of Absence Irish Sea Sailings — Cancellations — Question by Mr Singer K116 HOUSE OF KEYS, TUESDAY, 24th NOVEMBER 1998 we were aware of its limitations, but the thing that was approach to passenger care is unacceptable and attractive was the 21/2-hour passage journey which was will not be tolerated? what was being demanded. So therefore before I would say that we could classify it as poor, I think they have put The Speaker: Again I call upon the Chief Minister, Mr additional services on which appear to be actually good Gelling, to reply. for the Isle of Man. Mr Gelling: Mr Speaker, on this particular question, Mr Downie: Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Chief again I understand the situation from the Steam Packet Minister is he aware that the Lady of Mann also provides Company that the first point in the question is not accurate back-up for the Liverpool-Dublin SeaCat service and in and therefore the second point does not arise. the event that the Ben my Chree should have to go off- service, it is hardly likely that there could be no back-up Mr Singer: Mr Speaker, is the Chief Minister aware of vessel available for the Isle of Man routes and is he happy all the details in the letter that I passed on to him and whilst with that situation? I know that one of the details, where the person said they slept outside, they actually slept in a room with no heat, Mr Gelling: Yes, Mr Speaker, as I have said the wave otherwise I am told and I understand that the letter was height over three metres is under 10 per cent per annum, accurate, and would you agree with me that the treatment and I know the Lady of Mann is the back-up for that service of passengers arriving at Heysham must be improved, so I would say it would be very unusual if the circumstances particularly for those on foot because they are likely to so were created that in fact the Lady of Mann would be arrive early, they are in need of food and warmth, and when wanted on both routes because it is there as a stand-by, but there is a cancellation of unknown length, booked I am aware that it is for a stand-by on the Dublin route as passengers must be accommodated in hotels and not well. expected to make their own arrangements at 12 o'clock in the morning in a place that is far out from anywhere else? The Speaker: The final supplementary, the hon. member for Ramsey, Mr Singer. Mr Gelling: Mr Speaker, this was an unfortunate case of a young lady who went with her two colleagues at half- Mr Singer: Thank you. Chief Minister, you use the term over to the adjacent isle. They arrived at Heysham words that we know that there are limitations to the nine hours before the sailing, and I think that has to be the SuperSeaCat so would the credibility of the Isle of Man key point: nine hours before the sailing. Our own Sea Steam Packet Company not be improved by cancelling Terminal at Douglas opens two hours before the first sailing the use of the SeaCat during the winter period and bringing in the morning, so if they had arrived at our Sea Terminal in a suitable vessel that the travellers can be confident will here in Douglas they would not have got access to the sail most of the scheduled trips? terminal until half past five in the morning. These young ladies arrived at 5 o'clock in the afternoon for a 2.15 a.m. Mr Gelling: Again, Mr Speaker, I must say that I am sailing. not a spokesman for the company, I am not aware of their Now, having said that, there was an elderly couple who operational shipping systems, but all I can say is the SeaCat arrived there on foot because they had had an accident in and the SuperSeaCat are increasing the amount of traffic their car. Now, I am asking the Steam Packet to check this coming to the Isle of Man, and I think that is extremely one because that elderly couple were in fact found, seen important. to, and put into accommodation. Now, I am also told that there is a heat sensor switch in the rooms in Heysham so that it does not matter when you arrive there, even out of hours when the cafeteria is not Steam Packet Company — Heysham open, as soon as you walk in the room the lights and the Facilities — Question by Mr Singer heat come on. Now, in this particular letter the young lady states - well, her grandmother states - that the only warm The Speaker: Item 2, hon. members. Again I call upon place was in the ladies toilets. Well, that means that if she the hon.