Mr President, as the Member for the constituency covering the port of Dover, it is clear to me that the lessons of Zeebrugge and the Herald of Free Enterprise were not learnt. As the Member for the port of Ramsgate, it is clear to me that the lessons of two recent incidents in and near my constituency have not been learnt, namely the Sally Star fire on 25 August and the passenger walkway collapse on 14 September in which seven people were killed. There was nothing in the statement from Mr Wissmann and Mr Oreja that assured me that three gaping holes in marine safety legislation were to be addressed. First, the lack of statutory checks on port infrastructure. There was no comment on that. Secondly, the lack of adequate air-sea rescue services and coordination. Again, there was no real substantial comment on that. Thirdly, the lack of adequate emergency health care services. There was no statement on that, and this is referred to in our motion.

In conclusion, unless we learn the lessons now, the lives of seafarers and passengers will continue to be put at risk and lives will continue to be lost.