Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current state of the global crude oil fleet, and (2) the number of vessels that have 'gone dark' since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport holds data on the number and type of vessels within the world fleet, and as of 31 December 2023 there were 15,700 chemical and oil tankers in the world fleet with a total deadweight tonnage of 714 million tonnes.
The Government are aware of 'going dark' activities conducted by vessels since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, it is not possible to ascertain the exact figure of 'dark vessels' or 'dark periods', as while they can be due to deceptive practices, they may also be for safety reasons in high-risk areas or arise from technical issues and GPS jamming. The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) have established a (Russian) Maritime Sanctions Assessment Team focusing on the movements of oil tankers that are assessed to be associated with the movement of Russian oil.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by David G Victor et al, Accelerating the Low Carbon Transition, published in November 2019, in particular regarding the recommendation that developing countries with plentiful renewable energy sources could be well placed to attract investment in technology to decarbonise international freight shipping.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
The Government agrees that there is a unique opportunity for developing countries to play a key role in the decarbonisation of the international freight shipping sector, including through the production of alternative fuels. For example, according to a study conducted by EDF, the introduction of electrofuels in Chile could unlock investment worth up to 90 billion US dollars for the country.
Ahead of COP26, the Government is working with other States to explore the global landside infrastructure solutions that can unlock clean shipping for all. At the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UK remains committed to being an ambitious voice at negotiations on the reduction of greenhouse gases from international shipping, and to working collaboratively with our peers to ensure that the specific needs of developing countries are being met.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost to the taxpayer of repayments to Thomas Cook customers who lost future bookings.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
There are no costs to the taxpayer of refunding future bookings. If the booking is covered by the ATOL scheme, then the refund will be paid out of the Air Travel Trust Fund. For other bookings, the customer may be able to reclaim the costs from a credit or debit card provider or from their travel insurance provider.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of the cost to the taxpayer arising from the administration of Thomas Cook they will be able to recoup from (1) travel insurers, (2) debit and credit card providers, and (3) other travel providers through which passengers may have booked their Thomas Cook holiday.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton
This is one of the largest travel company failures we have ever seen. A failure of this size, and the number of passengers affected, is unprecedented. In these circumstances it is right that the Government should step in and help affected passengers return home as smoothly as possible.
We are seeking to minimise the impact on the Government and taxpayers by recovering tax payer funds expended in relation to the repatriation operation where appropriate through the ATOL scheme, credit card companies and travel insurance.
The majority of Thomas Cook passengers were ATOL protected. The costs for repatriating those passengers will be covered by the ATOL scheme.