Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 28 July 2025 (HL9720) and following the completion of parliamentary scrutiny of the Cape Town Agreement in December 2025, whether they intend to finalise its ratification process by the 113th session of the International Maritime Organization Legal Committee in April 2026.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Following conclusion of Parliamentary scrutiny of the Cape Town Agreement of 2012 on the Implementation of the Provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol of 1993 relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels 1977 on 17 December 2025, it is the Government’s intention to deposit the UK’s Instrument of Ratification with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) before the 113th session of the IMO Legal Committee on 13-17 April 2026.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 28 July (HL9720), how many fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over operating on the high seas they intend to declare following the United Kingdom's ratification of the International Maritime Organization 2012 Cape Town Agreement for the safety of fishing vessels.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The United Kingdom currently intends to declare 105 vessels upon accession of the International Maritime Organization 2012 Cape Town Agreement for the safety of fishing vessels.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 13 May (HL6754), and following their announcement at the United Nations Ocean Conference in June of the UK's "impending ratification" of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2012 Cape Town Agreement for the safety of fishing vessels, whether it is their intention to finalise the ratification process before the 34th session of the IMO Assembly in November.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The UK Government is committed to supporting the Cape Town Agreement. It is the first global agreement on fishing safety, to ensure mandatory minimum standards to safeguard fishers working at sea and deter vessels engaged in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing from operating by making poor working conditions subject to detention and inspection globally.
The Explanatory Memorandum on the Cape Town Agreement will be laid as a Command Paper before Parliament upon their return from recess on 1 September for 21 sitting days. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be asked to commence accession procedures once Parliament has resolved it is content to accede.
Asked by: Lord Teverson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of a voucher scheme for people on low incomes to buy a cycle, proposed in Sustrans' report The Cycling Opportunity, published on 11 September.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has not made a detailed assessment of the costs and benefits of such a scheme but will consider it carefully as it develops its future plans for active travel.