TNAG-1514-FCO40-2072-Shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 36

CONFIDENTIAL

38 It would be possible to increase the supply of seafarers in an

emergency for important needs by

a.

eliminating non-essential seafarer requirements, eg cabin

staff on liners and ferries;

b. using smaller back-up crews;

c.

d.

employing ex-UK-seafarers;

employing UK seafarers who had been on foreign-registered

ships.

There are at present about 8,000 officers and 15,500 ratings

actually on board ships at any particular time, with a back-up of

about 7,400 officers and 7,200 ratings on leave ashore. In an

emergency it would be reasonable to expect leave allowances to be

reduced. The scope for this would depend to a certain extent upon

changes in the length of voyages and in the character of the trade.

In the case of officers, an increase of about 25% (say 4,000) might

be achieved. It might be possible to get another 4,000 officers

back from employment on foreign flag ships. Thus, it would appear

possible on this basis to double the effective cadre of effective

officers in an emergency. If employment on UK ships became stable

or increased, the scope for return to the sea would obviously be

reduced, but the other measures would still be open in an emergency,

allowing increased availability of say 25% of the level of

employment then obtaining. As far as ratings are concerned, fewer

are employed on foreign-registered ships, but the other possibili-

ties would be open, and with the far shorter training time for

ratings (12 weeks) in peace-time and the possibility of giving

considerably less in an emergency a rapid increase in training could

help with any shortages within the times of the planning assump-

tions.