Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary regarding the application of merchant shipping regulations covering RFA merchant seafarers’ maternity and paternity rights.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is committed to ensuring that the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) maintains a positive, equitable workplace for all seafarers. RFA employees benefit from comprehensive employment rights and conditions well exceeding Maritime Labour Convention standards, including robust maternity, paternity and wider welfare provisions. The RFA’s commitment to fair treatment, safety and inclusive support ensures all personnel are protected throughout their service.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide an update on the commercial sale of the former RFA vessels (a) Wave Knight and (b) Wave Ruler.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A Sale Agreement for RFA WAVE RULER and RFA WAVE KNIGHT was signed in January 2026; Inocea Shipholding Ltd (ISL) has purchased the former RFA vessels and will be reactivating them for service.
I am unable to release further detail of the Sale Agreement at this time.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written answer of 4 February 2026 to question 109058, if he will list the RFA vessels where permanent employees have opted in to work a reduced assignment length, other than the RFA Proteus.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Uptake varies according to operational cycles, but participation consistently fluctuates between nine and 10 per cent of the total workforce. These arrangements continue to support individual choice while maintaining operational resilience.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on delivering (a) investment and (b) employment in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary fleet through the Defence Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out how our national security is defended by our Armed Forces, that they are only as strong as the defence sector which equips them, including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a unique asset to Government, which we continue to invest in, working closely across Government to ensure the seafarers who work for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have the employment conditions that reflect their essential work.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of civilian seafarers employed on live contracts between his Department and private contractors.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Contracted maritime support is delivered through a number of commercial providers, who are responsible for recruiting and managing their own workforces to meet contractual requirements.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which crewing agencies supply merchant seafarers to deliver MoD contracts.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not contract directly with crewing agencies. Where maritime outputs are delivered by civilian mariners, prime contractors are responsible for selecting, employing and managing any crewing agencies they use. As such, the Department does not hold a centrally maintained list of crewing agencies engaged by contractors delivering MOD maritime services.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what oversight his department carries out of crewing agencies supplying merchant seafarers to deliver MoD contracts.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Where civilian mariners are employed by contractors to deliver Ministry of Defence (MOD) maritime outputs, the Department ensures appropriate oversight through the contractual framework. Contractors are required to comply with UK maritime law, the Maritime Labour Convention, and all relevant safety, welfare and certification standards.
Prime contractors hold responsibility for selecting and managing any crewing agencies they use. The MOD monitors compliance through routine contract management, including assurance activity, audits, and safety reporting requirements. These oversight mechanisms ensure that contractors maintain suitably qualified and experienced personnel to deliver MOD tasks.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of maternity and paternity rights of seafarers working on merchant ships covered by the Merchant Shipping (Ministry of Defence Commercially Managed Ships) Order 1992.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Merchant Shipping Order provides a foundation for seafarers’ rights. For the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), these statutory measures are substantially augmented by a comprehensive suite of policies supporting all employees through every life event, offering protections and benefits well in excess of those minimums.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written answer of 4 February 2026 to question 109057, if he will list the maritime industry stakeholders his department has engaged with to date regarding the continued transformation of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s workforce framework in support of Defence operational needs.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Department continues to engage widely across Defence, Government and the maritime sector in support of the RFA workforce transformation programme. This includes structured consultation with internal governance boards, representative bodies, specialist HR, legal and career management functions, as well as engagement with key maritime unions, industry groups and UK flag‑state partners. These collaborative discussions ensure that the evolving framework robustly supports Defence’s operational needs while remaining aligned with best practice across the wider maritime industry.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the application of merchant shipping legislation to crew accommodation standards on each Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) complies with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, as mandated by law. In respect of those provisions that are not legally binding, the RFA endeavours to uphold an equivalent standard wherever practicable. Deviation from these standards will only occur when necessitated by urgent operational requirements.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will monitor shipboard standards against the requirements of the MLC as part of the ISM Code Safety Management certification process.