{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-distress-messages-regulations-1998/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-distress-messages-regulations-1998/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/1691",
  "legislation_title": "The Merchant Shipping (Distress Messages) Regulations 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-distress-messages-regulations-1998",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "MERCHANT SHIPPING\nSAFETY\nMade 6th July 1998\nLaid before Parliament 20th July 1998\nComing into force 10th August 1998\nThe Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, after consulting the persons referred to in section 86(4) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 85(1)(a) and (b), (3) and (7) and 86(1) and (2) of that Act and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1995 c. 21."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Sections 85 and 86 were amended by the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 (c. 28), section 8. Sections 85 and 86 were applied to hovercraft by the Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) Order 1989, S.I. 1989/1350, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1691/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:25:38.670691+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}