A brief overview of the United Kingdom National Maritime Security Programme

Compliance

TRANSEC is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the requirements placed upon them in the ISPS Code, EC Regulation 275/2004 and the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990.

TRANSEC employs a dedicated team of maritime security compliance inspectors to ensure that all UK ports receiving ISPS ships and all UK ISPS certificated passenger ships are compliant with the UK National Maritime Security Programme.

Inspectors work closely with operators to ensure that the measures set out in approved Port Facility/ Ship Security Plans are operating effectively. They ensure that 'Restricted Areas' within port facilities are clearly marked and that the signage meets the relevant criteria. See the examples in the relevant section which follows. They also carry out both announced and unannounced inspection visits to ships and port facilities, conduct detailed security audits of key operations, attend Port Security Committee meetings and participate in drills, exercises and training events. Compliance activity also includes a programme of covert testing which simulates security incidents and other unlawful acts to test the effectiveness of security measures. Compliance activity is not limited to the UK and targeted inspections of UK passenger ships are carried out at overseas locations. TRANSEC inspectors also participate in a programme of security inspections conducted by the European Commission to ensure Community wide compliance with Regulation 725/2004.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, is responsible for a similar security compliance programme covering cargo and freight ships.

Consultation with the Maritime Industry

The National Maritime Security Committee is the focal point for consultation on strategic maritime security matters. It is attended by senior representatives of the port and shipping industries and by other relevant Government Departments and meets twice a year. A Shipping Panel and a Ports Panel for consultation on specific and operational matters have also been established. Consultation with industry also occurs as part of the programme of compliance inspection and through participation in port security committees and regular liaison meetings.

Contingency Plans and Response to Maritime Security Alerts and Incidents

TRANSEC engages with other Government Departments to provide an assurance that an effective response to maritime threats can be implemented. Specifically, TRANSEC is contributing to security planning for major events and participating in drills and exercises at national, regional and local levels. Maritime contingency plans are kept under review by industry to ensure that they are effective and can be activated at all times. TRANSEC is reviewing its procedures for promptly and accurately promulgating security level changes and supporting information to industry, especially at heightened and critical levels of security. It is also facilitating the introduction of multi-agency threat and risk assessments within ports. One of the challenges facing the programme is to deliver practical security requirements that can be applied by ships and ports at times of a critical security level and sustained by them for the duration that state of alert.

TRANSEC also has oversight of the arrangements for handling Ship Security Alerts (SSA) for UK and Red Ensign Group ships. Under the ISPS Code all ISPS ships have to be fitted with a SSA system which allows them to send an emergency message in the event of a security threat or incident. TRANSEC has developed and implemented robust procedures for receiving SSAs and alerting UK response agencies.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency maintains a number of Search and Rescue Centres around the UK.

International

TRANSEC officials take a leading role in meetings on maritime security at the IMO and work alongside experts from other G8 countries and with the EC. The overall objective is to increase the resilience of the maritime network by creating a more consistent security culture across the world.

The UK played a leading role in the adoption, in October 2005, of the Protocol to the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation. This Protocol requires parties to criminalise the use of a ship as part of a terrorist act, establishes and international legal basis to counter the  proliferation and trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related materials on the high seas.  Once this Protocol enters into force, it will improve the effectiveness of international cooperation to combat terrorist acts at sea in compliance with international law.

An International Strategy for Maritime Security is being developed to increase the resilience of the maritime network by embedding a security culture at all levels in maritime operations. It will increase security awareness, develop skills and capabilities through practical training and, where appropriate, the provision of equipment. The Strategy will depend on working collaboratively with other countries by sharing and encouraging the implementation of best practice. It will also seek to deliver the UK's counter piracy initiatives. 

The Strategy will build upon on-going consultations with other Government departments, identifying and prioritising the countries and regions of interest with particular reference to:

• Countries within which terrorist activity poses a direct threat or developing threat;
• Geographical locations that are of strategic importance to UK trade and shipping patterns;
• Countries which give cause for concern as evidenced by a poor record of compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and;
• Countries where the conditions are conducive to receiving such assistance.

The Strategy will also be informed by the existing network of internationally based personnel attached to the UK Missions, seafarer reports, overseas visits, inspections of UK registered vessels, IMO reports, intelligence and police reports. Bi-lateral discussions will ensure that the Strategy meets the UK requirement as well as serving the needs of a host state.

The Strategy will be kept consistent with the assistance frameworks of other donor countries through liaison with the IMO, with maritime security experts from other G8 countries and with the EC. This will ensure that mutual interests are recognised, maximising the impact of joint initiatives and reducing the risk of duplicating effort. The Strategy will include measures of effectiveness to aid evaluation.

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