Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to standardise employment (1) rates, and (2) conditions, for staff working on ships.

The pay and conditions are a matter for each operator to determine provided they meet the minimum legal requirement. Provisions already exist to provide national minimum wage to domestic routes such as Cairnryan to Larne or Belfast.

As part of our nine-point plan to protect seafarers rights, we will introduce new laws to amend the Harbours Act 1964, to penalise ferries operating from British ports which do not pay at least the minimum wage to their workers in British waters.

The extension will bring into scope the relevant parts of international ferry operations such as the Dover straits and Irish Sea routes.