Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) UK Chamber of Shipping and (b) European Community Shipowners Association on pay rates for seafarers subject to UK National Insurance payments employed on vessels working from UK ports; and if he will request data on pay rates from maritime employers' associations.

Ministers have not had direct discussions with either body but dialogue at Ministerial and official level is continuing with relevant bodies on the wider agenda of seafarer pay.

The Department is currently reviewing the statistical data it uses and other data sources that may be relevant for future use but this does not include an objective to collect pay rates as this is undertaken by other Departments.