Tag: Lord West of Spithead

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there has been a reduction in the number of British seafarers being employed by the world’s merchant marine, and if there has, what action they are taking to ensure that the necessary numbers exist to meet national requirements for British seafarers in time of war.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The latest UK seafarer statistics can be found in the attached document “Seafarer Statistics, 2015” that is also available on gov.uk.

In 2015 the total number of UK seafarers active at sea was 23,380, an increase of 2% on the 2014 figure and 2.3% on 2013 figure. The figures for the last five years are shown below:

Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Active seafarers at sea	27,010	24,100	22,840	22,910	23,380

The Maritime Growth Study, chaired by Lord Mountevans and published on 7 September 2015, recognised the need for more proactive action to replenish and develop the skills needed to maintain the UK position as a world-leading maritime centre. The Government has accepted the recommendations and has already let a research contract to Oxford Economics to establish the requirement for trained seafarers in the UK.

However, the Government does not hold data on national requirements for British seafarers in time of war.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-07-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the response by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 19 July (HL Deb, col 525), what assessment the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, National Security Council, Joint Intelligence Committee and National Crime Agency have made of the suitability of the planned changes to the provision of reporting by the BBC Monitoring Service.

Earl of Courtown

Government has been working closely with the BBC to ensure the requirements of the MOD, FCO, Cabinet Office, and the intelligence agencies can continue to be met by BBC Monitoring.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2016-09-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Delivery Authority for the replacement of the Vanguard-class submarines will be established.

Earl Howe

Options for establishing a new delivery body continue to be developed and assessed. We will announce further details once the relevant decisions have been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 19 October (HL2591), what are the present seaborne links they provide to the people of Tristan da Cunha.

Baroness Verma

Her Majesty’s Government does not provide seaborne links to the people of Tristan da Cunha. Freight and passenger services are provided on a commercial basis by a private company.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are giving any assistance to Tristan da Cunha to save the critically endangered Tristan albatross.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

UK Overseas Territory (OT) Governments are constitutionally responsible for the protection and conservation of their natural environments. The UK Government cherishes the environmental assets of the OTs and we work in partnership with OT Governments to identify where our support can be most effective, including through access to expertise, technical advice and training and through the Overseas Territory Environment and Climate Fund (Darwin Plus). Through Darwin Plus, the UK Government has committed approximately £5.2 million since 2012 to help protect the natural environment in the OTs.

House mice predation on chicks of the Tristan albatross is the main threat to the species. Before the launch of Darwin Plus, the UK Government had already committed over £500,000 to help eradicate mice from Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha. Through Darwin Plus, we are providing over £82,000 to assess the conservation status of the endangered Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross on Tristan da Cunha.

Joint UK Government and South Atlantic OTs funding also supports a co-ordinating post based in the Falkland Islands to help meet obligations arising from the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels and to assist with the planning and implementation of albatross and petrel conservation work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have made for seaborne links with Tristan da Cunha now that St Helena has an airfield.

Baroness Verma

Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to change seaborne links with Tristan da Cunha.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) Forth, Medway and Trent, will operate in addition to the current four OPVs.

Earl Howe

The operation of the three new Offshore Patrol Vessels will be subject to the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies they have in place (1) for the protection of the Exclusive Economic Zones around the United Kingdom’s worldwide dependencies, and (2) to ensure maximum economic advantage for the United Kingdom and its dependencies from those waters and seabed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The British Government is committed to protecting the marine environment of the Overseas Territories. As part of this work we plan to work with the Overseas Territories to create “blue belts” to help manage their dynamic and important ecosystems in a way which effectively balances environmental protection and economic potential. This will help the UK to meet its international obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which aims to protect ten per cent of marine waters globally. In support of this goal the UK has, in addition, declared a full no take Marine Protected Area around the British Indian Ocean Territory and a sustainable use Marine Protected Area in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The Overseas Territories are responsible for managing their terrestrial and marine environments, including their economic potential. The UK is responsible in international law for compliance with international obligations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-10-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Security Council has discussed the strategic implications of the closure of the Redcar steelworks to the long-term security interests of the United Kingdom.

Lord Bridges of Headley

Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord West of Spithead on 2015-01-14.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 16 December 2014 (WA 291), how many F35B aircraft will be in the squadron available at Initial Operating Capability for use on HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Lord Astor of Hever

The front line squadron at Initial Operating Capability in 2020 will be equipped with a minimum of nine F-35B aircraft, which could be supplemented from other assets from across the fleet if required.