Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the draft Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code on small businesses.

The public consultation for the Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure Code of Practice and underpinning Statutory Instrument ran from the 4th December 2024 to the 25th February 2025.

A De-Minimis Assessment for the Code of Practice and Statutory Instrument was undertaken to fully consider the potential impacts of the proposed updates on the Sport or Pleasure Vessel sector. The De-Minimis Assessment included specific consideration of the likely impacts on small and micro businesses. The De-Minimis Assessment was published on gov.uk as part of the consultation package and remains publicly available.

As part of the consultation a number of specific questions were posed. This included a question asking whether respondents were aware of small or micro businesses who may be disproportionally affected by the draft measures set out in the Code of Practice or Statutory Instrument. The consultation provided an opportunity for any evidence on potential impacts to be submitted. All consultation responses are currently being reviewed.