Oral Answers to Questions

Martyn Day Excerpts

Thursday 19th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Harper]

I will give a pithy answer. I am grateful to my hon. Friend for all her campaigning work. Dover is a strategic port for the United Kingdom. This project will ensure that we can meet our requirements and keep that flow of trade and traffic going. I am pleased that we have been able to get that money to help the port of Dover.

[Martyn Day (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP)]

T2. The Law Society of Scotland, the RMT and others have all expressed concerns about the Seafarers’ Wages Bill only covering services that dock in our port 120 times a year. That threshold is so high that several services will not be covered. Why will the Minister not listen to their concerns and reduce that threshold, thereby protecting more seafarers?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Richard Holden)]

My understanding is that around 98% of services will be covered by the Bill, including the short straits services around which there have been concerns about P&O.