Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2019 to Question 267283, for what reasons Apax Partners was given a seat on the Government’s official delegation to the International Maritime Organisation’s Maritime Safety Committee.

The Vice-President of Apax Partners was present at the International Maritime Organisation's Maritime Safety Committee to represent a consortium which will soon be taking over Inmarsat PLC, who are the current global maritime distress and safety service provider. Both his and Inmarsat delegation’s presence was considered appropriate in order to field specific queries which may have arisen from discussions on the planned takeover.