Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Transport of 17 November 2016, Official Report, column 376, if he will take steps to establish formal working arrangements between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and HM Revenue and Customs' National Minimum Wage (NMW) Enforcement Team to ensure that all complaints of (a) nationality-based pay discrimination or (b) non-payment of the NMW for seafarers employed on vessels working from and between UK ports are fully investigated.

We will discuss with HM Revenue and Customs what improvements can be made to current arrangements, including whether the Maritime and Coastguard Agency can provide better support.