Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage the recruitment of new officer recruits into the Merchant Navy; and if he will make a statement.

A company or group which elects for the Tonnage Tax is required, each year, to recruit one new officer trainee for every fifteen officer posts in its fleet. The Department also provides support for seafarer training through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, the budget for which was increased by 25% to £15million in September 2013.

Recruitment into the Merchant Navy is, however, principally a matter for the industry itself. The industry and the Government are working hand in hand to encourage and support the next generation of seafarers and are developing a range of apprenticeships for maritime occupations at sea and ashore. We support the work of the Merchant Navy Training Board and SeaVision in promoting maritime careers, and have recently collaborated with Maritime UK in the publication of "Open for Maritime Skills".