Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that pay for UK seafarers is protected.

Following P&O Ferries’ disgraceful actions, the Secretary of State announced a nine point plan to improve seafarers protections. Legislation will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows that intends to ensure that seafarers working on vessels that regularly use UK ports are paid at least an equivalent rate to the UK National Minimum Wage, irrespective of the nationality or the seafarer or flag of the vessel. We intend to achieve this by making access to UK ports conditional on vessel operators demonstrating that they are paying at least an equivalent rate to the UK National Minimum Wage to their seafarers while in UK waters. In parallel we are liaising with international partners to set up bilateral minimum wage equivalent corridors, in the territorial waters of each country, as well as working through international organisations to create a step change in seafarer welfare.