9.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that DE 44, acknowledging that no submissions on this item had been received for two consecutive sessions, but recalling that it had emanated more than five years back from a resolution of the 1995 SOLAS Conference and recognizing that this was an important matter, invited MSC 74 to extend the target completion date for this item to 2002. MSC 74 concurred with this request. DE 44 had agreed to reflect on the comments made in paragraphs 7.3 and 7.4 of its report (DE 44/19) during the intervening period and invited relevant submissions with a view to finalizing the item at this session.

　

9.2 The Sub-Committee had before it information by the Secretariat (DE 45/9), re-capitulating the discussions at DE 44; a submission by Australia (DE 45/9/1), proposing an amendment to paragraph 4.1.5 of the LSA Code to incorporate carriage requirements for SARTs in liferafts and outlining a general wording in paragraph 5 of their paper; and a submission by

　

ILAMA (DE 45/9/2), providing information on SARTs to assist the considerations of the Sub-Committee, in particular regarding fitting, mounting and activating of SARTs, maintenance and testing.

　

9.3 The Sub-Committee agreed to the Australian proposal (DE 45/9/1) and requested the Australian delegation, in co-operation with other interested delegations, to prepare a draft amendment to the LSA Code for the consideration and final decision of the Sub-Committee.

　

9.4 The delegation of the United Kingdom stated that, while they understood Australia's concern regarding large liferafts, a SART might not be required for every large liferaft but a ratio of one in five for the first twenty liferafts carried and one in ten for the remainder might be appropriate.

　

9.5 The Sub-Committee noted information by the delegation of the United States regarding recent discussions at COMSAR 5 concerning potential threats to the marine navigational radar spectrum due to upcoming ITU limits on unwanted radar emissions which would affect the ability of marine radars to trigger SARTs. However, keeping in mind that the only task assigned to it by the Committee was to develop the appropriate carriage requirements for low-powered radio homing devices, the Sub-Committee agreed to proceed with the preparations of the draft amendment referred to above.

　

9.6 In considering the matter, the Sub-Committee noted that carriage requirements would be more appropriately located in the text of chapter III of SOLAS rather than in the LSA Code. Accordingly, it agreed to develop amendments to SOLAS regulation III/26 "Additional requirements for ro-ro passenger ships", section 2 of which contains requirements for liferafts. The Sub-Committee noted that by placing the amendments in regulation III/26, they would supplement the requirements of regulation III/6.2.2 with regard to radar transponders.

　

9.7 In accordance with normal practice of applying chapter III requirements to existing as well as new ships, it was agreed that the text to be developed should include a new paragraph III/26.1.4 which clarifies such application to apply from the first survey after the entry into force date of the amendments.

　

9.8 The Sub-Committee considered that the replacement of radar reflectors by SARTs was adequately covered by the LSA Code and so did not need to be further elaborated. For similar reasons, there was no need to codify the servicing of SARTs packed in liferafts.

　

9.9 The Sub-Committee agreed that each SART should be manually activated. However, a number of delegations preferred automatic activation because this would cater for persons that were incapacitated and therefore not able to switch on the manual activation. It was agreed to bring both sides of the argument to the attention of the Committee.

　

9.10 The Sub-Committee also agreed that SARTs should be provided for every liferaft, not only for large ones.

　

9.11 Upon receipt of the report of the informal group (DE 45/WP.4), the Sub-Committee agreed to the draft amendments to SOLAS chapter III, as set out in annex 11, for submission to MSC 75 for approval with a view to adoption at the earliest opportunity. The Secretariat was instructed to inform the NAV and COMSAR Sub-Committees of the decision taken, in particular in the light of upcoming ITU work on unwanted radar emissions.

　

9.12 Since work on the item was thus concluded, it was agreed to propose to the Committee its deletion from the Sub-Committee's work programme.

　

10.1 The Sub-Committee recalled that DE 44 had discussed a submission by Japan (DE 44/5), proposing to amend the LSA Code to include a mandatory requirement for the carriage of desalinators in lifeboats and liferafts and also to collect information on possible means of desalinating. DE 44 agreed that performance standards may be developed in order to give the ship owners the choice to equip their ships with desalinators, bearing in mind the area of operation and other factors. The delegation of Japan offered to collect information on the different types of desalinators currently available on the market and to present it to this session for appropriate action. They also agreed to consider preparing draft performance standards and, if appropriate, submit them to this session for consideration. Members and international organizations were invited to submit comments and proposals.

　

10.2 The Sub-Committee had for its consideration a submission by Japan (DE 45/10), presenting, following the agreement at DE 44, draft performance standards and performance tests for desalinators on lifeboats and liferafts, based on United States' performance standards and Japanese type approval test methods. The document also showed the results of Japanese type approval tests on two types of manually powered reverse osmosis desalinators manufactured in the United States.

　

10.3 The Sub-Committee noted an information document submitted by Japan (DE 45/INF.8), providing information on various types of desalinators and their performances.

　

10.4 Having considered the Japanese proposal for draft performance standards and performance test, as further modified (DE 45/WP.6), the Sub-Committee agreed to the draft MSC circular on Performance standards and performance tests for manually powered reverse osmosis desalinators, set out in annex 12, for submission to MSC 75 for approval.

　

10.5 Since work on the item was concluded, it was agreed to propose to the Committee its deletion from the Sub-Committee's work programme.

　

　

　

　

1 The following new subparagraph .4 is added at the end of paragraph 1:

　

2 The following new subparagraph .5 is added at the end of paragraph 2.