Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ministerial Code also states, at paragraph 2.13: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.” Paragraph 2.13 covers whether a minister has notified the Law Officers of a personal role in litigation.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to Question 15694 on Department for Transport: DP World and P&O Ferries ,tabled by the Hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley on 26 February 2024 for answer on 29 February 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A response to PQ 15694 was provided on 8 March 2024.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of non-qualifying seafarers working on vessels in scope of the Seafarers Wages Act 2023; and when he plans to publish the updated impact assessment.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2023, the Government passed the Seafarers’ Wages Act to address this issue. Based on data and assumptions used in the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 impact assessment (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62e2aa8ed3bf7f75af0923d5/seafarers-wages-impact-assessment.pdf), the Department for Transport estimates that there are 9,400 non-qualifying seafarers working on vessels in scope of the Seafarers Wages Act 2023. A non-qualifying seafarer is defined as all other seafarers on vessels within scope of The Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023, that do not directly benefit from the policy, because it is estimated that they are not currently at risk of being paid below the National Minimum Wage equivalent (NMWe).
An updated version of the impact assessment will be published in due course.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of seafarers working on ships that regularly use UK ports who are paid less than the national minimum wage.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2023, the Government passed the Seafarers’ Wages Act to address this issue. Based on data and assumptions used in the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 impact assessment (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62e2aa8ed3bf7f75af0923d5/seafarers-wages-impact-assessment.pdf), the Government’s most recent estimate is that 4,400 individuals working on services in scope of the Act (i.e. those working on international services calling at a UK port at least 120 times a year) may be being paid less than the UK national minimum wage. The secondary legislation that the Department is consulting on currently will bring the Act into force to address this issue.