Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vessels with valid licences to operate from the UK in the short sea freight sector are registered under (a) the UK flag or (b) Red Ensign Group registries; and what proportion of those are qualifying vessels under the Tonnage Tax scheme.

There is no general requirement for ships to be licensed to operate on any routes either within the UK or plying internationally to and from UK ports.

The Department does not hold information in relation to the areas of operation of vessels which are entered into the tonnage tax regime. The identity of tonnage tax companies and groups is tax confidential, and so we would not in any case be able to release information which might make it possible to identify individual companies and groups.