Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the proportion of UK resident seafarers employed on ferries operating from (a) Hull, (b) Immingham, (c) Harwich, (d) Felixstowe, (e) Tilbury and (f) Dover; and what steps he is taking to increase that proportion.

The Department does not hold data on seafarers by port or region, or seafarers specifically employed on ferries. The Seafarers in the UK shipping industry 2021 statistical release can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seafarers-in-the-uk-shipping-industry-2021/seafarers-in-the-uk-shipping-industry-2021.

The tables associated with the publication are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/seafarer-statistics-sfr.

Measures such as the amendments to the national minimum wage and the points-based visa system will increase opportunities for UK seafarers in the UK domestic market and set a minimum salary level.

The Department of Transport established the Maritime Skills Commission (MSC) to lead in ensuring the maritime sector has a pipeline of talent to serve its needs now and going forward. We remain committed to the training of seafarers with the MSC cadet review feeding into our forward planning and we have developed a range of apprenticeships for UK ratings.

Over the last five years the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has introduced a more flexible pathway for UK seafarers to qualify as ratings. By allowing the qualifying seagoing service to take place in categorised waters and on smaller vessels of at least 15 metres, the MCA have allowed those working on workboats, domestic ferries, yachts and other smaller vessels to qualify as an STCW rating.

These measures will improve employment opportunities for UK ratings both domestically and internationally.