Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department offers to seafarers' stranded vessels as a result of their employer's liquidation; and what steps he is taking to reduce incidences of ships being detained in UK ports due to financing problems.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) undertakes Port State Control inspections on foreign-flag ships when in UK waters. This includes enforcing the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 which covers payment of seafarers’ wages and repatriation. In the case of failure of the shipowner or the flag-State of the ship to undertake their responsibility, the MCA may assist in the repatriation of seafarers to their home country, when requested by the seafarer if they have become stranded due to liquidation of the shipping company.

The Government cannot intervene in the financial position of shipowners and has no control of the financial situation of ships visiting UK ports.