River Thames: Boats

(asked on 2nd July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to (a) reduce or (b) remove the fees for statutory inspections and surveys carried out on passenger boats by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.


Answered by
Kelly Tolhurst Portrait
Kelly Tolhurst
This question was answered on 10th July 2020

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will resume its statutory obligations to survey and inspect domestic passenger boats in the UK, including those operating on the Thames, on 20 July and will use a risk-based approach.

The details of the plans for resumption of these activities were made available to the maritime industry on 6 July.

The MCA has no plans to (a) reduce or (b) remove the fees for statutory inspections and surveys that their Marine Surveyors perform on passenger boats.

The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures worth £350 billion to support companies of all sizes through the COVID-19 pandemic. My Department’s officials and I have been working closely with a wide range of operators, including passenger ferry operators, to understand how these measures can be applied and have continued to offer our support to them during this difficult time.

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