Lecturer ships into study on merchant fleet

A CITY lecturer has been appointed to a panel of experts commenting on a study into the UK's merchant shipping fleet.

Professor Kevin Cullinane, director of the Transport Research Institute at Napier University, will be consulted on the National Audit Office's (NAO) study of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's handling of growth in the fleet.

The NAO scrutinises public spending and audits the accounts of all government departments and agencies, as well as a wide range of other public bodies.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport, promoting safety in UK waters, preventing maritime pollution and providing a coastal and maritime search and rescue service.

Prof Cullinane said: "This appointment has been made on the back of research I have conducted in the area of maritime risk management and safety regulation.

"My role is to provide quality assurance checks on the work of the NAO and, as an objective academic, to provide feedback that is not coloured by representing the views of any particular group or interest. Expert panel members are appointed simply to provide guidance and to aid the NAO."