Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 April 2019 to Question 239228 on Shipping: Equality, what the Reducing Regulation Committee’s decision was on the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011; and when he plans to publish that Post Implementation Review.

My Department has been awaiting the legal outcome of the employment tribunal – Walker v Wallem Shipmanagement, in which a female seafarer was discriminated against during the recruitment process because of her sex. This case pertained to the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011. The tribunal’s judgement raises concerns about loopholes in the Regulations designed to protect seafarers. Addressing any potential issue would require a legislative amendment and will need to be addressed separately, while we continue with the publication of the Post Implementation Review.