Written question asked by Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 12 December 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 16 December 2025. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Thursday, 18 December 2025 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Passenger Ships: Territorial Waters

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of limiting access for foreign-flagged passenger vessels to designated areas of UK territorial waters.

Answer: No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of limiting access for foreign-flagged passenger vessels to UK territorial waters. Vessels in UK territorial waters are subject to a number of controls, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and inspection at UK ports to ensure compliance with their obligations under international maritime regulations. The UK relies on both foreign-flagged and UK-registered vessels for key imports and passenger services.

Secondary information