Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the number of seafarers working in the UK of the requirement for seafarers to have either ENG1 or ML5 medical certificates in order to continue working at sea after November 2023; what recent discussions he has had with organisations representing seafarers on the requirement for seafarers to have either ENG1 or ML5 medical certificates; what steps he is taking to support seafarers who will be required to obtain either ENG1 or ML5 medical certificates; and what steps he is taking to raise awareness among seafarers.

The main intended outcome, given that the risk level of commercial fishing in the UK is estimated to be 100 times greater than the general workforce, is to ensure that those in the industry are not likely, because of a medical condition, to put themselves in danger, or put others in danger in coming to rescue them.

The requirement for a medical certificate brings fishing into line with all other maritime sectors, and indeed other transport sectors, and all seafarers other than fishers have been required to hold a medical certificate for many years.

The Department for Transport is particularly mindful of those already working in the sector, and this is why we have put Grandfather Rights in place. No-one in the industry has yet been refused a ML5 medical fitness certificate by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) medical assessors.

The MCA has extensively engaged with industry on this over many years, including through a public consultation. The MCA has written to those in the sector with information and published guidance on www.gov.uk, including a Q&A addressing the most common concerns. The MCA has also been working with the Fishermen’s Mission to help deliver the message on quaysides, as well as through MCA surveyors.

Any fisher concerned or uncertain about how to obtain a medical certificate can contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Medical Administration Team who can advise on the process to follow.