Relying so heavily on foreign supply is too risky. This requires the sustained recruitment and employment of British seafarers, which in turn depends heavily on the continued participation and viability of British companies in international shipping. As stated in the White Paper on the Future of Transport, our new shipping policy will be based on this broader, long term vision of Britain's future maritime needs. It is to secure this future that we need to do more. The Government's Wider Industrial Policy Economic and industrial aims 56.
Shipping is an important and integral part of Britain's industry and trade.
Policies towards it fall not only within broader transport policy, but also, as with other industrial sectors of the economy, under the umbrella of the Government's wider economic and industrial aims. These have many components, within a central objective of achieving high and stable levels of growth and employment. It can be envisaged that the possible onset of economic recession could threaten many of these objectives, and add an urgency to policies to achieve them. Market distortion 58. In pursuing these aims, it is an underlying objective that the distortion both of domestic and international markets should be minimised.