§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
To what extent have United Kingdom forces now in the Gulf area been transported in British flag vessels and whether the availability of merchant ships for NATO's transatlantic requirements has been affected.
§ The Earl of ArranFive British flagged vessels have been used so far to transport military equipment and material to the Gulf area. The availability of NATO transatlantic shipping has not been significantly affected by UK chartering for the Gulf.