Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency changed the safe manning certificate for merchant ships on the UK Registry in each year since 1998.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) does not have the figures for amendments to Safe Manning Documents requested dating back to 1998. However, the following figures are available from 2010 relating to all changes.

2010 – 94

2011 – 67

2012 – 68

2013 – 52

2014 – 139

2015 – 49 (to date)

The vast majority of these changes have been changes to names of ships or companies. A small number relate to changes in engine power or crew numbers.