Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 5 April (HL7240), whether there are enough UK merchant sailors to man the merchant ships assessed necessary to conduct overseas operations, in addition to the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries.

In addition to Royal Fleet Auxiliaries, there are sufficient UK seafarers currently resourced by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to conduct overseas operations to meet current operational commitments. This arrangement includes four Roll-on Roll-Off vessels which are operated by Foreland Shipping Limited under an MOD contract.

During periods of conflict which demand resource above current MOD capacity, the UK Merchant fleet is used to meet this requirement. The MOD is unable to comment on the size and employment status of UK seafarers working outside the MOD as this is the responsibility of the Maritime Coastguard Agency, which is an executive agency of the Department of Transport.