ANNEX E
FENSIVE BRIEF IN RESPURSE TO POSSIBLE QUESTIONS FROM THE FRESS ON HKC CREWS
1.
2.
Q. How many HKC are employed by the RFA? How many vessels, how
many HKC manned?
A.
Q.
A.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service employs approximately
500 HKC at present and most of these have been serving onboard RFAS operating in the South Atlantic. The RFA has some 27 ships in service of which nine are crewed by Hong Kong Chinese personnel. These ships are the six Landing Ships Logistic, one Stores Support Ship · the RFA STROMNESS and two freighting tankers RFAS PEARLEAF and PLUMLEAF.
How long have the RFA employed HKC?
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service has employed HKC for over 50 years.
3.
4.
Q.
Why does the RFA crew vessels with HKC? Is it just a way of obtaining cheap labour?
A. The RFA has traditionally crewed a number of its vessels with
HKC personnel. The Landing Ships Logistic have been crewed by HKC even before the RFA took over responsibility for them from the Army in 1970. In addition, there are strong links with Hong Kong Chinese sailors dating from the days of the Naval Dockyard in Hong Kong.
Q.
A.
When was it decided which ships should be sent in aid of the Falklands Operation?
At the very start of the Falklands crisis, all the ships of the RFA were placed at the disposal of the Royal Navy and to date, some 95% of our ships have been involved in the
operation.
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