Written questions by Morris.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If he will publish the names of the vessels on the UK Defence Shipping Register.

The Defence Shipping Register is a record of all vessels currently in service in the Ministry of Defence. Release of the list of vessels names would provide a complete picture of the size and capability of the service and allow individual vessel’s type, movements and locations to be traced using easily accessible public shipping trackers; I hope the hon. Member understands that it would therefore be inappropriate to release this information into the public domain.

What recent discussions he has had with (a) Royal Fleet Auxiliary and (b) recognised trade unions on the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations on the operational role of the RFA.

The Ministry of Defence maintains regular engagement with appropriate stakeholders concerning matters affecting the operational roles and capabilities of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

How many vacancies currently exist in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary by seafarer grade.

Official statistical information regarding all civilians employed within the Ministry of Defence is released biannually. The last release was on 1 October 2025 and included the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. More information can be found at: Supplementary_tables_to_MOD_biannual_civilian_personnel_report_-_October_2025.ods. Grade specific data for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is not publicly released. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary continually monitors its workforce levels to ensure it can meet operational requirements.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of using bareboat chartering commercial vessels to augment the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s work supporting Royal Navy operations.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary continues to provide the Royal Navy’s afloat support using its own civilian crewed vessels.

If he will make an estimate of the number of civilian seafarers in scope of the (a) Defence Maritime Regulator and (b) the Memorandum of Understanding between the MoD and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

As of the 6 February 2026, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary had 1,741 employees, who are under the scope of the dual regulatory requirements of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Defence Maritime Regulator.

What the (a) inspection dates and (b) deficiencies recorded were by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency following inspection of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels in each year since 2014.

Routine surveys and inspections of RFA vessels have been completed in accordance with statutory requirements and timeline. All corrective actions or deficiencies have been pursued by both the RFA and the appropriate regulators and certifying bodies. Deficiencies raised across all surveys are actioned as a matter of priority and evidenced to the appropriate regulatory body for closure within the agreed time frame.

How many inspections of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been carried out by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency since the updated Memorandum of Understanding was published in November 2024.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) as an organisation have been audited, inspected or surveyed approximately 30 times since the Memorandum of Understanding was updated in November 2024. This is a combination of RFA ship specific surveys and RFA organisational safety systems audits, capturing the holistic safety management of the RFA in accordance with Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Defence Maritime Regulator regulations.

Whether his Department applies the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention to the (a) merchant navy seafarers and (b) vessels in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Ministry of Defence applies the Maritime Labour Convention in accordance with its application in UK Legislation. Where a Disapplication, Exemption or Derogation exists in UK legislation, then Secretary of State for Defence’s Policy on Health and Safety places the obligation on the Department to comply with outcomes at least as good as UK legislation. This is coupled with the Defence Maritime Regulator as an independent Health, Safety and Environmental protection regulator to implement independent assurance of the implementation of legislation such as the Maritime Labour Convention and Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

What the operational (a) status and (b) readiness is of each Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary continues to meet its commitments in supporting the Royal Navy worldwide, including the Carrier Strike Groups current global deployment. The Royal Navy does not routinely disclose readiness data for individual vessels due to Operational Security.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Strategic Defence Review on the (a) budget and (b) headcount of the (i) UK Hydrographic Office and (ii) National Shipbuilding Office.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorses the Review's vision and accepts all 62 recommendations. The potential impact of the SDR on the budget and headcount of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is that, as an arm's length body and trading fund, the SDR has no significant impact on existing UKHO budget and headcount that have not been accounted for within the corporate planning process.The potential impact of the SDR on the budget and headcount of the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) is yet to be determined. The NSO continues to be this Government's driver for shipbuilding activity both on Government shipbuilding programmes and across the commercial and civil sector. We will be in a better position to understand this once work on the Defence Investment Plan completes later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the transfer of Stirling Castle from the Royal Fleet Auxillary to the Royal Navy on the operational capacity of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The transfer of Stirling Castle from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) to the Royal Navy allows the RFA to direct its resources to crew and maintain other vessels in its inventory, optimising readiness to support Defence’s outputs.

What the (a) cost and (b) duration are for the contract between his Department and Serco Marine Services for the support vessels (i) SD Victoria and (ii) SD Northern River.

SD Victoria and SD Northern River currently operate under the Serco Continued Procurement of Marine Services contract which expires on 30 September 2025. From 1 October 2025, the two vessels will operate the under the Serco Defence Marine Service Offshore to Military Training Contract. This contract was awarded on the 14 May 2025 following a competitive procurement process. The Contract has a duration of 10 years and a cost of £94 million.The Ministry of Defence has no live maritime service contracts with subsidiaries of Serco.

If he will list all live maritime service contracts his Department has with subsidiaries of Serco Limited.

SD Victoria and SD Northern River currently operate under the Serco Continued Procurement of Marine Services contract which expires on 30 September 2025. From 1 October 2025, the two vessels will operate the under the Serco Defence Marine Service Offshore to Military Training Contract. This contract was awarded on the 14 May 2025 following a competitive procurement process. The Contract has a duration of 10 years and a cost of £94 million.The Ministry of Defence has no live maritime service contracts with subsidiaries of Serco.

What the total operating cost was of the British overseas military base in Qatar in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Ministry of Defence does not have a British Overseas Base in Qatar but we do have forces hosted on the Qatari owned, US-operated Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha. Indicative operating costs for being based at Al Udeid airbase in financial year 2024-25 are in the region of £3.7 million. The exact cost will be finalised after the publication of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25.

How much and what proportion of the UK Hydrographic Office's annual budget was spent on chartering commercial ships in each of the last 10 years.

YearCost (£)Proportion of UK Hydographic Office budget spent on chartering commercial ships (%)2015-16257170.042016-17348390.052017-18441170.082018-19002019-20002021-22002022-23521040.072023-24002024-2500

How many merchant seafarers were employed on vessels chartered by the UK Hydrographic Office in each year since 2015-16.

YearMerchant seafarers employed on vessels chartered by the UK Hydrographic Office2015-161 for 66 days2016-1702017-181 for 20 days2018-1902019-2002021-2202022-232 for 28 days2023/2402024-250