Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of (a) employment and (b) welfare standards for seafarers employed in transporting freight on (i) coastal and (ii) short sea shipping services.

The UK has a leading global role in protecting and promoting seafarer welfare and employment standards. We have passed the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023, designed to prevent seafarers working aboard ships operating a regular service from a UK port from being paid less than an equivalent to the UK National Minimum Wage while in UK territorial waters. Our Seafarers’ Charter goes further, committing signatory companies to provide employment and welfare conditions a meaningful step above the international minimum standards. This expands the social welfare entitlements of eligible seafarers, prevents voyage contracts, and requires that roster patterns take into account factors including route intensity, fatigue and welfare.

We are pleased that operators DFDS, Stena Line, Brittany Ferries and Condor have committed to work to meet those standards and encourage other companies to do so.