Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Maritime and Coastguard Agency, (b) Civil Aviation Authority and (c) Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on oil and gas employers’ proposals on the weight limit for offshore oil and gas workers being transported by helicopter.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency responded to the Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) report on the “identification of hazards related to the weight, size, and shape of offshore oil and gas workers in the UK” in September 2024 and March 2025, expressing safety concerns based on the increasing weight of offshore oil and gas workers (as per the OEUK report) and stating the absolute limits of winch and rescue equipment, and subjective considerations such as challenges with manual handling.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many merchant seafarers have been winched to safety from commercial vessels in (a) territorial and (b) international waters on the UK Continental Shelf by HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopters in each year since 2015.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The winching systems on search and rescue (SAR) helicopters have a limit on their load capacity which has been further reduced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed limit for the carriage of ‘human external cargo’. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) do not have additional operational limits on these winching systems and the rescue coordination centre will follow operational procedures for any SAR response.
The total number of individuals winched from offshore energy installations by HM Coastguard SAR aircraft since 2021 is 57. This includes 55 from oil and gas and two related to offshore wind. The oil and gas figure of 55 includes 29 evacuated from a semi-submersible.
From January 2021 to June 2026, SAR helicopters rescued 927 people from commercial vessels. The role of the person rescued is not routinely recorded.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s policies on the operational limits of Search and Rescue winching systems on helicopters contracted to conduct offshore Search and Rescue operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The winching systems on search and rescue (SAR) helicopters have a limit on their load capacity which has been further reduced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed limit for the carriage of ‘human external cargo’. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) do not have additional operational limits on these winching systems and the rescue coordination centre will follow operational procedures for any SAR response.
The total number of individuals winched from offshore energy installations by HM Coastguard SAR aircraft since 2021 is 57. This includes 55 from oil and gas and two related to offshore wind. The oil and gas figure of 55 includes 29 evacuated from a semi-submersible.
From January 2021 to June 2026, SAR helicopters rescued 927 people from commercial vessels. The role of the person rescued is not routinely recorded.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many offshore energy workers have been winched to safety from (a) fixed offshore oil and gas installations, (b) floating production storage and offloading units and (c) offshore wind farms on the UK Continental Shelf by HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopters in each year since 2015.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The winching systems on search and rescue (SAR) helicopters have a limit on their load capacity which has been further reduced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed limit for the carriage of ‘human external cargo’. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) do not have additional operational limits on these winching systems and the rescue coordination centre will follow operational procedures for any SAR response.
The total number of individuals winched from offshore energy installations by HM Coastguard SAR aircraft since 2021 is 57. This includes 55 from oil and gas and two related to offshore wind. The oil and gas figure of 55 includes 29 evacuated from a semi-submersible.
From January 2021 to June 2026, SAR helicopters rescued 927 people from commercial vessels. The role of the person rescued is not routinely recorded.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister’s letter to President Abbas of 21 September 2025, whether she has considered issuing a formal apology on behalf of His Majesty’s Government for the United Kingdom’s role in Palestine between 1917 and 1948.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 April in response to Question 124946.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister’s letter to President Abbas of 21 September 2025, what discussions she has had with her Palestinian counterpart on the UK’s historical role in Palestine and the Balfour Declaration of 1917.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 27 April in response to Question 124946.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera and the removal of its captain and first officer from UK jurisdiction by United States Coast Guards, what engagement the Government received from the United States prior to that operation; on what basis the removal of those individuals from UK territorial waters was permitted; and what assessment he has made of the suitability of United States Coast Guards to (a) remove and (b) transfer individuals from UK territory.
Answered by Al Carns
Permissions to utilise UK military bases by foreign partners are considered on a case-by-case basis. This includes engagement with US partners on the nature and purpose of their activity. All UK support to allies for operational purposes considers the legal basis and policy rationale for any proposed activity. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations' military operations.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her Moroccan counterpart on the suppression of protests and events supporting self-determination in occupied Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in Morocco and Western Sahara, as we regularly make clear to all relevant parties. At the most recent UK-Morocco Human Rights Dialogue in November 2025, senior officials discussed areas of mutual interest, including freedom of expression. The UK has endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting solution of the Western Sahara conflict. We continue to engage with all relevant parties in support of the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC will publish full staffing projections for Managed Service Provider and HMRC customer services staff.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC is currently in an initial proof‑of‑value phase for its use of MSPs, which is helping to inform longer‑term workforce planning. At this stage, HMRC has no plans to publish full staffing projections for either MSPs or HMRC customer services staff.
Decisions about future staffing levels will be based on what is learned from the proof‑of‑value phase and will be taken through HMRC’s normal business planning and Spending Review processes.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 1 April 2025 to question 41654 on Trade: Occupied Territories and Western Sahara, if he will update that guidance to include the need for consent to comply with international law.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK keeps its overseas business risk guidance, available on gov.uk, relating to Western Sahara and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) under review and will update it as necessary to reflect relevant international law considerations.
The UK is clear that Israel's illegal settlements and decisions designed to further them are a flagrant violation of international law. The business risk guidance on OPTs states there are clear risks to UK operators related to economic and financial activities in the settlements. We discourage such activity and advise that those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.