Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have had with representatives of the shipping registers of (a) Cyprus, (b) Bahamas, (c) Bermuda and (d) Malta on P&O Ferries' appointment of International Fleet Management as the employer of seafarers on its vessels working from UK ports.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) officials have not had any discussions with representatives of the ship registers of (a) Cyprus, (b) Bahamas, (c) Bermuda or (d) Malta on the appointment of International Ferry Management as the employer of seafarers on P&O Ferries vessels operating from UK ports.

During their Port State Control inspections of the vessels, the MCA inspectors were presented with a Certificate of Compliance issued by RINA on behalf of the Maltese administration. This demonstrates that the recruitment and placement company, International Ferry Management, operate in accordance with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention.