Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that foreign flagged vessels serving UK ports comply with UK minimum wage requirements when in international waters.

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 addition we are also working with like-minded partners on the development of bilateral minimum wage corridors, ensuring seafarers on direct ferry routes are paid the equivalent to the minimum wage of either country, whilst in our respective territorial waters and subject to the legislative competence of each Government.