HL Deb 21 February 1984 vol 448 c756WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many (a) Soviet; and (b) Warsaw Pact flag merchant and other ships are present in British ports and how many are within:

  1. (i) the British Fisheries Zone;
  2. (ii) British Territorial Waters; and
  3. (iii) British Internal Waters
on average on any one day; and what has been the greatest number.

Lord Lucas of Chilworth

We do not have the information requested for merchant ships or average figures for Warsaw Pact and Soviet fishing vessels in British ports and neighbouring waters. There were in 1983 over 1,200 visits by Soviet merchant ships to British ports. On 13th February 1984 (the most recent day for which information is available) 15 Warsaw Pact merchant ships were in British ports, 8 of them Soviet. The maximum number of Warsaw Pact factory fishing vessels at any one time in British Territorial Waters in 1983 was 40. of which 10 were Soviet.