§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ensure that submarines based in the United Kingdom travel at sufficient depth, when submerged, to avoid the possibility of collision with surface craft.
§ Lord TrefgarneCollisions between Royal Navy submarines and surface craft are very rare. When they do occur, they arise either from the entanglement of submarines in trawled fishing gear or from collisions between surface craft and submarines operating at periscope depth. To adopt the noble Lord's suggestion would, I fear, prove unduly restrictive of submarine operations, but I can assure the noble Lord that submarine commanding officers are well trained in the avoidance of surface craft and that every care is taken to avoid collisions.