Could laid-up trawlers reinforce mine countermeasures?

Could laid-up deep-sea trawlers from Hull and Grimsby be converted to reinforce mine-countermeasure forces?

Possibly: Speed said they were unsuitable for offshore patrol but that their suitability for mine countermeasures was still under study.

Duffy asks the minister to consider laid-up deep-sea trawlers on Humberside as a way to reinforce an urgent mine-countermeasure requirement. Keith Speed later clarifies that his earlier objection concerned offshore patrol, not mine warfare, and that suitability for mine-countermeasure conversion was still being studied. Duffy welcomes the distinction and points to Hull and Grimsby's large maritime contribution during both world wars. He argues that at least some recently idle vessels might be adaptable while preserving local skills and employment. The exchange shows reserve conversion as a conditional supplement to purpose-built forces, not as a claim that every trawler could perform every naval task.