Written question asked by Joe Robertson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Monday, 18 May 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.
Department for Transport: Aviation
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Netherlands Antilles; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.
- Answer
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The Department for Transport (DfT) has a statutory requirement under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code to monitor port security in the British Overseas Territories.
The visit in 2025 was to deliver security assessments of ISPS port facilities in Anguilla. Meetings were also conducted, including with the Governor’s Office, police and with port security officials. The cheapest and most efficient route to reach Anguilla was to fly to Saint Martin (Netherlands Antilles) and from there board a ferry to Anguilla.
The visit involved one Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and one Higher Executive Officer (HEO).
The total cost of the visit was £11,500.
The visit was approved by a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Servant) in DfT’s Transport Security Division in line with departmental policy.
The majority of DfT’s port security engagement with the Overseas Territories is undertaken online, however an effective assessment on whether a port is delivering on its security requirements is best completed by an onsite visit.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 863
- Session
- 2026-27
- Related items
- Subjects
- Aviation Department for Transport
- Contains statistics
- Yes
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-06-16 16:29:49 +0100
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