Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent French seafarer employment legislation on British seafarers working on cross-Channel ferry services, including on workforce recruitment, retention, morale and work-life balance; and whether her Department has held discussions with the French Government regarding the potential effect of these measures on UK-based maritime workers.

The Government is committed to strengthening workers’ rights at sea. On 5 June my Department launched a consultation on proposals to use new powers in the Employment Rights Act 2025 to strengthen protections for seafarers on frequent UK-France and UK-Channel Islands routes. The proposals complement the measures enacted by France in 2024. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-seafarer-protections-on-uk-france-routes/ and closes on 17 July.

My officials have regular engagement with their French counterparts.