Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the scale of international at-sea piracy; and what steps the Government is taking to counter piracy at sea.

Recorded acts of piracy have increased in South East Asia from 128 to 141 2014 and 2015. The UK is an active member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) who work to combat piracy in the region.

International action has suppressed piracy off the coast of Somalia and there has not been a successful attack since 2012. However, the situation is reversible and we remain vigilant. The UK hosts the headquarters of EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA and NATO Operation Ocean Shield, and provides a Deputy Commander to the Combined Maritime Forces. The UK also supports bilateral capacity building in East Africa through EUCAP NESTOR and UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

The situation in the Gulf of Guinea has remained stable over the last 10 years but there were 67 attacks in 2014. The UK remains committed to supporting west African states build their capacity ashore and at sea.