Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of maternity and paternity rights of seafarers working on merchant ships covered by the Merchant Shipping (Ministry of Defence Commercially Managed Ships) Order 1992.

The Merchant Shipping Order provides a foundation for seafarers’ rights. For the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), these statutory measures are substantially augmented by a comprehensive suite of policies supporting all employees through every life event, offering protections and benefits well in excess of those minimums.