§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the command structure for a white ensigned vessel in the south Atlantic and a blue ensigned vessel.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonCommand of Her Majesty's ships is the responsibility of the Commander in Chief Fleet, who 915W in turn is responsible to the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Defence Staff. The command structure for blue-ensigned vessels depends upon the Government organisation or other public body which operates them.
§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the number of hostile incidents involving a blue ensigned vessel in the south Atlantic in the last 30 years;
(2) on what occasions the United Kingdom has taken military action following harassment of (a) a white ensigned vessel and (b) a blue ensigned vessel in the south Atlantic.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonMinistry of Defence records show that during the last thirty years, there has been only one incident involving blue ensigned vessels in the south Atlantic, excluding actions during the Falklands conflict in 1982. This was an unsuccessful attempt by an Argentinian vessel to stop the RRS Shackleton in February 1976. During the same period, with the exception of operations during the Falklands conflict, there have been no occasions on which military action has been taken following harassment of either white or blue ensigned vessels.