Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Section 4 of his Department's dataset entitled Seafarers in the UK Shipping Industry: 2023, published on 22 February 2024, what discussions he is having with (a) employers in the shipping industry, (b) trade unions and (c) the Maritime Skills Commission on maritime apprenticeships in the UK shipping industry.

The Department works with the Maritime Skills Alliance who design and promote qualifications and apprenticeships for the UK’s maritime sector. The Secretary to the Maritime Skills Alliance is a commissioner on the Maritime Skills Commission (MSC), which also includes trade union and employer representation. Apprenticeships have been discussed by the MSC, primarily in relation to the Ratings Review, which was published in September 2023. Maritime Minister Lord Davies discussed the Ratings Review with the MSC Chair on 27^th February 2024.

The Department remains committed to ensuring seafarers have the qualifications they need, and their training is future proofed through the Cadet Training and Modernisation Programme and implementation of the Ratings Review.