The Earl of Caithnessasked Her Majesty's Government:
What increases in tonnage they expect in the United Kingdom fleet over the next five and 10 years. [HL1333]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)We would expect tonnage in the UK fleet to increase as a result of the initiatives 117WA outlined in British Shipping: charting a new course. As announced in the Budget, the noble Lord, Lord Alexander, is to conduct an independent study of the issues involved in introducing a ring-fenced tonnage tax for the shipping industry. Specific expectations for tonnage increases will be able to be developed following that review.