Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether ferries operating from UK ports registered on the (a) Bahamas, (b) Bermudan and (c) Cypriot shipping registers are subject to the provisions of the UK-France Maritime Security Treaty.

The UK-France Maritime Security Treaty sets out the UK and France’s shared preparedness for and joint response to a high threat security incident on a vessel in the Channel.

There are many provisions within the Treaty, some of which are relevant to all vessels in the Channel, irrespective of their flag state. Other provisions apply only to UK and French-flagged vessels. The details of all the provisions can be found in the Explanatory Memorandum which was published alongside the Treaty. UK/France: Agreement on Cooperation in Matters relating to Maritime and Port Security, and specifically, in relation to Passenger Vessels in the Channel [CS France No.3/2022] - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)