§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom merchant fleet manpower in each grade in each year from 1975 to the nearest available date.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe information requested is as follows:
8W
Officers Ratings Cadets Total 1975 35,815 33,524 7,094 76,433 1976 35,123 31,644 6,970 73,737 1977 34,144 29,856 6,708 70,708 1978 33,147 29,219 6,704 69,070 1979 31,434 28,942 6,318 66,694 1980 29,513 28,167 5,919 63,599 1981 27,867 27,422 5,197 60,486 1982 25,104 25,224 4,022 54,350 1983 20,635 22,624 2,732 45,991 1984 17,646 20,251 1,625 39,522
Officers Ratings Cadets Total 1985 15,523 19,095 1,016 35,634 1986 13,036 17,612 727 31,375 1987 10,978 15,835 554 27,367 1988 9,568 13,638 428 23,634 11989 9,097 12,651 431 22,179 1 Provisional. Note:
These numbers are based upon the General Council of British Shipping register for the years indicated as available for employment in National Maritime Board agreements with GCBS members or associates. They include foreign seafarers on NMB agreements. About 5,000 foreign seafarers serve on GCBS-registered vessels but probably fewer than 1,000 are under NMB conditions. The figures exclude seafarers employed by United Kingdom companies which do not use GCBS manning services; the latest estimate for these is 6,000.