Britain will introduce new port safety rules resulting from lessons learned from the Sea Empress tanker oil spill in 1996. The UK Government will introduce a Port Marine Safety Code early next year, Shipping Minister Keith Hill said at a harbor masters' seminar. "Recent maritime history, including the grounding of the Sea Empress in 1996, has demonstrated the need to improve port safety to save lives and safeguard the environment," Hill said. The code would bring in a new safety management regime, establish a yardstick for harbor authority responsibilities for port safety and promote good practice, he said. The Sea Empress spilled over 70,000 tons of oil when it grounded trying to enter the Welsh port of Milford Haven.