Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the success of the Petrol Pier Pontoon (MSSC) Grant in achieving its aims and objectives.

The grants made by the Marine Society and Sea Cadets (MSSC) to both the Marine Engineering Pathway and the Petrol Pier Pontoon are assessed to have had a positive effect.

The MSSC Marine Engineering Pathway is a national Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative which is providing workshops to 10,000 young people a year in schools across the UK. It offers a practical understanding of the world of marine engineering and highlights key issues such as climate change and career opportunities in the maritime sector.

The MSSC Offshore Fleet consists of five vessels which are based at Fort Blockhouse in Gosport, Hampshire and operate around the UK coastline delivering week-long life-changing voyages for Sea Cadets. Berthing and access to the Offshore Fleet is via the Petrol Pier pontoon which is used to deliver groups of Sea Cadets safely to their vessels.