(1)The Secretary of State shall, for the purpose of the investigation of any such accidents as are mentioned in subsection (2) below, appoint such number of persons as he may determine to be inspectors of marine accidents, and he shall appoint one of those persons to be Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents.
(2)The accidents referred to in subsection (1) above are—
(a)any accident involving a ship or ship’s boat where, at the time of the accident—
(i)the ship is a United Kingdom ship, or
(ii)the ship, or (in the case of an accident involving a ship’s boat) that boat, is within United Kingdom waters, and
(b)such other accidents involving ships or ships’ boats as the Secretary of State may determine.
(3)The Secretary of State may by regulations make such provision as he considers appropriate with respect to the investigation of any such accidents as are mentioned in subsection (2) above.
(4)Any such regulations may, in particular, make provision—
(a) with respect to the definition of “accident” for the purposes of this section and the regulations;
(b)imposing requirements as to the reporting of accidents;
(c)prohibiting, pending investigation, access to or interference with any ship or ship’s boat involved in an accident;
(d)authorising any person, so far as may be necessary for the purpose of determining whether an investigation should be carried out, to have access to, examine, remove, test, take measures for the preservation of, or otherwise deal with, any such ship or boat or any other ship or ship’s boat;
(e)specifying, with respect to the investigation of accidents, the functions of the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents (which may include the function of determining whether, and if so by whom, particular accidents should be investigated), the functions of other inspectors of marine accidents, and the manner in which any such functions are to be discharged;
(f)for the appointment by the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, of persons to carry out investigations under this section who are not inspectors of marine accidents;
(g)for the appointment by any Minister of the Crown of persons to review any findings or conclusions of a person carrying out an investigation under this section;
(h)for the procedure to be followed in connection with investigations or reviews under this section;
(i)for conferring on persons discharging functions under the regulations who are not inspectors of marine accidents all or any of the powers conferred on an inspector by section 259;
(j)for the submission to the Secretary of State, and the publication by him, of reports of investigations or reviews under this section;
(k)for the publication by the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents of reports and other information relating to accidents.
(5)Regulations under this section may provide for any provisions of the regulations to apply to any specified class or description of incidents or situations which involve, or occur on board, ships or ships’ boats but are not accidents for the purposes of the regulations, being a class or description framed by reference to any of the following, namely—
(a)the loss or destruction of or serious damage to any ship or structure,
(b)the death of or serious injury to any person, or
(c)environmental damage,
whether actually occurring or not, and (subject to such modifications as may be specified in the regulations) for those provisions to apply in relation to any such incidents or situations as they apply in relation to accidents.
(6)Regulations under this section may provide that a contravention of the regulations shall be an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum and on conviction on indictment by a fine.
(7)The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, or (as the case may be) inspectors of marine accidents generally, shall discharge such functions in addition to those conferred by or under the preceding provisions of this section as the Secretary of State may determine.
(8)Any inspector of marine accidents shall, for the purpose of discharging any functions conferred on him by or under this section, have the powers conferred on an inspector by section 259.
(9)Nothing in this section shall limit the powers of any authority under sections 252, 253 and 254.
(10)In this section—
(a)references to an accident involving a ship or ship’s boat include references to an accident occurring on board a ship or ship’s boat (and any reference to a ship or ship’s boat involved in an accident shall be construed accordingly); and
(b) “ship’s boat” includes a life-raft.