Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many maritime boarding actions Border Force performed on (a) recreational and (b) commercial vessels in each of the last five years.

Border Force does not hold the data requested in an easily accessible format.

Border Force enhance UK maritime border security through intelligence-led and proactive maritime operations to deliver the right law enforcement effect in the right place, at the right time. This is in order to:

• Detect and prevent the smuggling of people and prohibited and restricted goods into the UK.
• Deter those who use commercial and general maritime to pose a threat to the UK.
• Prevent and interdict in criminal activity and preserve and secure evidence to support prosecutions where appropriate.

Reassure the public and wider maritime community whilst minimising interference into the lawful passage of people and goods within UK Territorial Waters.