Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the regulators of the UK insurance industry are taking to prevent UK insurers from offering insurance cover to operators of fishing vessels of any nationality that turn off their Automatic Identification Systems while fishing on the high seas.

The Government’s policy is that Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) should always be in operation when ships are underway or at anchor, however if the master believes that the continual operation of AIS might compromise the safety or security of the ship or where security incidents are imminent, AIS may be switched off.

Insurers make decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics and standards. The Government does not intend to intervene in these commercial decisions by insurers as this could damage competition in the market.