Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 April 2026 to Question 126329, when her Department plans to publish the revised MCA Rescue Boat Code.

The MCA remains committed to the development of the replacement to the Rescue Boat Code and is actively engaging with rescue boat organisations, HM Coastguard, and other industry stakeholders to finalise the draft.

Feedback received from industry stakeholders in January 2026 has been considered, and the latest version of the draft, which implements several changes aimed at ensuring that the revised requirements for rescue boats are clear, appropriate, and achievable for existing operators, was circulated on 18 May 2026.

The MCA consider this a necessary process to ensure the rescue boat code replacement is fit for purpose but accepts that this does add to the implementation timeline. The MCA will publish the replacement to the rescue boat code as the Search and Rescue Craft Annex to Workboat Code Edition 3 as soon as practicable, once feedback from operators following this latest round of consultation has been appropriately addressed.