§ Sir David Priceasked the Minister for Trade if he will make a statement following his meeting about the needs of the shipping industry with the Radio and Electronic Officers Union on 26 January.
§ Mr. Sproat[pursuant to his reply, 28 January 1983, c. 547]: Following the Falklands conflict. I invited the Radio and Electronic Officers Union as well as the other seafaring unions and the General Council of British Shipping to let me have their considered views on the lessons to be drawn from the Falklands campaign about the future of the Merchant Navy. The REOU sent me its views in writing, and I am grateful for these. I then invited it to meet me, and this meeting took place on 26 January.
I am now considering the union's proposals in the context both of the defence lessons for the Merchant Navy to be learned from the Falklands campaign, and of the worldwide recession in shipping which has greatly damaged all merchant fleets. Within the recession, the British merchant fleet is suffering additionally because of a loss of competitiveness compared with other merchant fleets.