§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence with what overseas countries discussions have taken place during the last five years in connection with the need for improved hydrographic surveying.
§ Mr. DuffyApart from discussions relating to co-ordinated surveying activities with countries having established hydrograph offices, such as France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and the United States of America, there has been correspondence dealing with the needs for hydrographic surveys under the liaison arrangements between the Hydrographer of the Navy560W and the local marine authorities in the following countries:
- Anguilla
- Antigua
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Belize
- British Antartic Territories
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Falkland Islands
- Fiji
- Gilbert and Ellice Islands
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Iran
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- New Hebrides
- St. Helena and Ascension
- St. Kitts—Nevis
- St. Vincent
- Seychelles
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Virgin Islands
- United Arab Emirates.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence when the last surveys were carried out in the approaches to Milford Haven, the Bristol Channel, the Firth of Forth and Sullom Voe.
§ Mr. DuffyFull surveys were carried out in the approaches to Milford Haven, the Bristol Channel and the Firth of Forth during the nineteenth century, and have been progressively updated since then; the dates of the most recent surveys are 1969, 1968 and 1969, respectively. It is hoped that comprehensive surveys to full modern standards will be completed next year in the approaches to Milford Haven and the First of Forth. The approaches to Sullom Voe have never been surveyed though Yell Sound itself was surveyed in 1975.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the date of the most recent surveys of the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez; who carried out these surveys; and how they were paid for.
§ Mr. DuffyThe last complete surveys known to have been carried out in the Gulf of Suez and Red Sea area were done by the Royal Navy in the 1870s at Royal Naval expense.
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§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many of Her Majesty's survey ships will be deployed in each of the next five years to meet the surveying requirements of British and international shipping in the southern side of the Persian Gulf.
§ Mr. DuffyThere are no plans to deploy any surveying ships to the southern side of the Persian Gulf in the next five years.