Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which stakeholders the Department engaged in the development of the forthcoming Action Plan on Acquired Brain Injury, including any (a) sports governing bodies, (b) football organisations, and (c) relevant charities, in relation to football-related chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many replenishments at sea RFA’s Tide-class tankers have provided for international allies in each year since 2017 to date.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Tide-class tankers routinely support NATO, Joint Expeditionary Force partners, and other allied maritime operations while delivering the UK’s standing commitments worldwide.
The data the hon. Member requires is not held in the format requested. However, we estimate that there have been in excess of 300 replenishment at sea provided to international allies by Tide-class tankers from 2017 to date.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the requirements in the Regulations for Royal Fleet Auxiliaries BRd 875 for Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships to carry copies of merchant navy legislation.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary carries merchant navy legislation in compliance with the regulations stated in all applicable International Maritime Organisation legislation.
The application of national regulation to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is subject to regular review under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the commercially managed ships currently in MoD service.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works closely with commercial partners to deliver crucial defence outputs. Information regarding commercially managed ships in MOD service is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to reports of the sale of the former Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels Wave Ruler and Wave Knight to Inocea Group, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues, (b) shipping industry representatives, (c) NATO allies and (d) trade unions on the record of Inocea subsidiaries in delivering naval auxiliary support services for NATO allies, including the Royal Canadian Navy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The two ships in question had been tied up for some time under the last Government and we inherited a position where neither ship were planned to go to sea again. Disposal of former Royal Fleet Auxiliary assets is conducted in accordance with established Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider His Majesty's Government policies. Officials engage with colleagues across Government and shipping industry representatives as required to ensure compliance with applicable defence, export control, and national‑security considerations during disposal activity. The MOD maintains regular dialogue with NATO Allies on operational, capability and interoperability matters. These discussions do not extend to the performance of commercial service providers contracted by other nations, which remain the responsibility of those nations.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his department’s policy to apply, on a voluntary basis, the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention to the (a) merchant navy seafarers and (b) vessels in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, does not apply to warships or naval auxiliaries, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The Government has therefore not designated RFA vessels as ships to which the MLC formally applies. The Ministry of Defence ensures that all personnel serving on RFA vessels are provided with working and living conditions consistent with the principles of MLC wherever this is practicable and compatible with operational requirements.
In respect of merchant navy seafarers employed by the Department, the Government fully applies the provisions of the MLC in line with UK merchant shipping legislation.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Section C5 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, what information his Department holds on when the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries (RFA) Working Group last met; and if he will publish the recommendations this Working Group has made to the MOD-MCA MOU Management Committee to date.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) last met on 2 October 2025. The meeting was chaired by the MCA and included attendance from the RFA and Defence Maritime Regulator.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (b) the Secretary of State for Transport on the Memorandum of Understanding between his department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has regular working groups with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) which offer opportunities for amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between his MOD and the MCA.
At the most recent MOD and MCA annual working group meeting chaired on the 12 November 2025 there were no formal requests for amendment to the overall MOD-MCA MOU received for this year, though several clarifications and feedback points have been noted for potential future updates.
Internal discussions within the Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR) are planned to address clarifications, mainly regarding the approach to affected services, rather than substantive changes to the MOU itself.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Department for Transport agencies on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s adherence to applicable Merchant Shipping Regulations.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Ministry of Defence Ships) order 1989 [Order in Council No 1991], the Royal Fleet Auxillary (RFA) was exempted from many aspects of the UK Merchant Shipping Acts in respect of registered vessels of the RFA. Although the RFA is exempt from a number of provisions within the Merchant Shipping Acts, it remains the Department’s policy to comply voluntarily. With the non‑mandatory elements, wherever practicable, the RFA will comply except where this would conflict with operational requirements.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the binding merchant shipping Statutory Instruments applicable under the MoD Ships Order in Council, listed in Annex A1 of the Regulations for Royal Fleet Auxiliaries BRd 875.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The binding merchant shipping statutory instruments applicable under the Minstry of Defence Ships Order in Council, are reviewed on a regular basis by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). This is part of ensuring the RFA’s Safety Management Systems continuous compliance with updated international and statutory regulations. Ongoing compliance is additionally monitored externally by the MCA as part of the annual Document of Compliance (DOC) audit process.