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Maritime and Coastguard Agency: British Overseas Territories

Asked by Rebecca SmithConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 2 September 2026UIN 17595

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2026 to Question 14998 on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and British Overseas Territories, what the total cost was of each monitoring visit undertaken since 4 July 2024, broken down by (a) travel, (b) accommodation, (c) subsistence and (d) other expenditure.

Answered by Department for Transport

The total cost of each monitoring visit undertaken by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to British Overseas Territories, broken down by travel, accommodation, subsistence and other expenditure since 4 July 2024 is shown below: This does not include staff salaries, subsistence is estimated in some areas. Other expenditure may include items such as a hire car booked locally. The audit team composition reflects the scope of the audit as well as the training needs for new auditors and succession planning.

Location X Number of Auditors

Dates

Travel (£)

Accommodation (£)

Subsistence (£, estimated)

Other expenditure (£)

Total cost (£)

Primary Monitoring Visits

Gibraltar X 4

16–20 Sep 2024

2,802.37

2,285.33

632.07

5,719.77

Turks & Caicos Islands X 4

2–6 Dec 2024

8,676.98

10,268.26

1,180.77

400.88

20,526.89

St Helena X 3

24–28 Feb 2025

16,518.26

4,873.56

727.74

22,119.56

Cayman Islands X 3

1–12 Sep 2025

10,034.90

3,661.70

709.71

14,406.31

British Virgin Islands X 5

1–5 Dec 2025

32,116.97

6,791.67

1,725.53

40,634.17

Secondary Monitoring / Support Visits

British Virgin Islands X 3

29–31 Jul 2024

17,410.96

2,958.99

725.62

470.46

21,566.03

Anguilla X 1

20–24 Jan 2025

1,978.00

1,399.75

644.07

4,021.82

British Virgin Islands X 2

16–18 Jul 2025

4,790.56

1,732.16

431.59

297.15

7,251.46

Turks & Caicos Islands X 2

3–6 Nov 2025

7,172.34

3,175.34

713.27

11,060.95

St Helena X 3

16–20 Mar 2026

8,267.00

2,730.00

586.24

11,583.24

The MCA undertakes these visits in order to provide assurance that Overseas Territories’ maritime administrations continue to meet their international maritime obligations and the standards set under the Red Ensign Group framework.

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