Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce the incidences of non-payment of wages to seafarers working in (a) UK and (b) Europe.

The United Kingdom has ratified and transposed into domestic law the International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) which includes provisions on the payment of wages.

For UK registered ships other than those which are subject to the MLC, section 30 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 makes provision for the late payment of wages, and interest is payable on late sums under specified circumstances.

Enforcement is carried out by Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors (and any surveyors nominated by the MCA to carry out surveys and inspections) on UK registered ships in routine surveys and inspections, and, where applicable, on non-UK registered ships during port State Control inspections.

We are not aware of any incidents of non-payment of wages on board any UK registered vessels.