Written questions, answers and statements

UK Border Force: English Channel

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Question for Home Office

UIN 11026, tabled on 23 January 2024

Question

Emily Thornberry
Labour
Islington South and Finsbury
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days did at least one of the Border Force's (a) five cutters and (b) six coastal patrol vessels spend on active duty supporting small boats operations in the Dover Straits in 2023.

Answer

Michael Tomlinson
Conservative
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Commons

Answered on

26 January 2024

During 2023, the Cutter & CPV fleet did not provide assistance to small boat operations in the South East region.

Instead, Border Force utilised a fleet of 5 Commercial Transfer Vessels (CTVs) - Defender, Hurricane, Ranger, Typhoon and Volunteer.

Out of the 604 small boat events that occurred in 2023, the CTVs successfully intercepted 544, accounting for a 90% interception rate, the remaining interceptions were carried out by the RNLI due to asset suitability in deteriorating weather conditions.

This framework in the South East allows the Cutter & CPV fleet to focus on maritime enforcement deployments around the UK.

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Home Office
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