Wednesday

Lunch today with Ursula Then in the afternoon, took part in a 3-hour debate on the EU Select Committee report Combating Somali Piracy: the EU's Naval Operation Atalanta. NAVFOR, as the EU force is called, has the task of escorting World Food Programme ships, and supply ships for the AU military mission to Somalia, through the region and into Somalia. So far they haven't lost a single ship, and the pirates have attacked easier prey. Amazingly, some shipowners still ignore the guidelines for avoiding attacks. The pirates rake in millions from ransoms to free captured ships and their crews. My speech is at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/101110-0001.htm#10111038000309