Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with defence partners on sovereign immunity of historic shipwrecks.

As a matter of customary international law, all naval warships, state vessels and associated artefacts are afforded protection through the principle of Sovereign Immunity. The UK is of the view that, unless expressly relinquished or abandoned by the Flag State, the Sovereign Immunity of the wreck of any Crown vessel remains in place, regardless of where the wreck in question is located, and those who lost their lives in service of our country should be left in situ and undisturbed.

Discussions are ongoing with our Defence partners to ensure that current legislation provides sufficient protection for our historic wrecks.