Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many passengers have lost their lives while travelling on the Princess Freda since she began operating as a passenger vessel on the Thames; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which the seaworthiness of that vessel is demonstrated by the number of soldiers she rescued during the Dunkirk evacuation.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) report that to their knowledge no instances of loss of life on the Princess Freda have been reported to them during her operation as a Thames passenger vessel.

As with all UK passenger ships, Princess Freda is subject to annual survey by the MCA to maintain passenger ship certification in accordance with the appropriate standards. Her operational record during the Dunkirk evacuation would not have formed part of her initial assessment as a passenger ship nor any subsequent annual verifications.