Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Whether he has had recent discussions with (a) P&O Ferries and (b) other members of the UK Chamber of Shipping on the Seafarers’ Charter.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with P&O Ferries or other members of the UK Chamber of Shipping on the Seafarers’ Charter. However, officials regularly engage with operators who have committed to the Seafarers’ Charter, as well as other members of the UK Chamber of Shipping. Officials only engage with P&O Ferries regarding operational matters, such as safety and security.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to which (a) country and (b) port each (i) freight and (ii) passenger ferry route runs from the UK to the (A) EU and (B) European Economic Area; and which commercial operating company serves each route.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, ships' routeing measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for navigation and safety purposes, such as traffic separation schemes, operators and vessels are able to traverse any area of sea, or set up longer term regular routes where suitable market demand exists.
Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators in order to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. Government would not ordinarily expect to be involved in such decisions, or privy to operator business planning, and as such cannot provide formal details on ferry routes under development.
In the period following 31 December 2020 we are aware of 5 ferry services that have been established, as set out in table 1:
Table 1
Route | Operator | Date |
Tilbury - Calais | DfDS | June 2023 |
Medway (Sheerness) - Calais | DfDS | June 2021 |
Dover - Calais | Irish Ferries | June 2021 |
Teesport - Zeebrugge | CLdN | March 2023 |
Teesport - Rotterdam | CLdN | March 2023 |
Table 2 details Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off, freight) and Passenger Ferries (Roll on-Roll off freight and passenger) vessels with regular routes (120 times per year), i.e. those that could be considered freight or passenger ferries, between UK and EU/EEA countries:
Table 2
EU/EEA Route (UK port to EU/EEA port) | Destination Country | Vessel Type | Ship operator |
North Killingholme-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Purfleet-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Teesport-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Tilbury-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Esbjerg | Denmark | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Newhaven-Dieppe | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Plymouth-Roscoff | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | Condor Ferries |
Portsmouth-Le Havre | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS Seaways |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
St Helier Harbor-Saint-Malo | France | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Condor Ferries |
Immingham-Cuxhaven | Germany | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Fishguard-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Heysham-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | Seatruck Ferries |
Pembroke Dock-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Felixstowe-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Harwich-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
Hull-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
London-Vlissingen | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Shields-Ijmuiden | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Purfleet-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Immingham-Gothenburg | Sweden | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Data Source: Sea by Maritech
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what designated maritime routes into and out of the United Kingdom have been established on what dates since the UK left the European Union.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, ships' routeing measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for navigation and safety purposes, such as traffic separation schemes, operators and vessels are able to traverse any area of sea, or set up longer term regular routes where suitable market demand exists.
Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators in order to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. Government would not ordinarily expect to be involved in such decisions, or privy to operator business planning, and as such cannot provide formal details on ferry routes under development.
In the period following 31 December 2020 we are aware of 5 ferry services that have been established, as set out in table 1:
Table 1
Route | Operator | Date |
Tilbury - Calais | DfDS | June 2023 |
Medway (Sheerness) - Calais | DfDS | June 2021 |
Dover - Calais | Irish Ferries | June 2021 |
Teesport - Zeebrugge | CLdN | March 2023 |
Teesport - Rotterdam | CLdN | March 2023 |
Table 2 details Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off, freight) and Passenger Ferries (Roll on-Roll off freight and passenger) vessels with regular routes (120 times per year), i.e. those that could be considered freight or passenger ferries, between UK and EU/EEA countries:
Table 2
EU/EEA Route (UK port to EU/EEA port) | Destination Country | Vessel Type | Ship operator |
North Killingholme-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Purfleet-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Teesport-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Tilbury-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Esbjerg | Denmark | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Newhaven-Dieppe | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Plymouth-Roscoff | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | Condor Ferries |
Portsmouth-Le Havre | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS Seaways |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
St Helier Harbor-Saint-Malo | France | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Condor Ferries |
Immingham-Cuxhaven | Germany | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Fishguard-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Heysham-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | Seatruck Ferries |
Pembroke Dock-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Felixstowe-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Harwich-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
Hull-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
London-Vlissingen | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Shields-Ijmuiden | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Purfleet-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Immingham-Gothenburg | Sweden | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Data Source: Sea by Maritech
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what designated maritime routes into and out of the United Kingdom are in development.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, ships' routeing measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for navigation and safety purposes, such as traffic separation schemes, operators and vessels are able to traverse any area of sea, or set up longer term regular routes where suitable market demand exists.
Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators in order to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. Government would not ordinarily expect to be involved in such decisions, or privy to operator business planning, and as such cannot provide formal details on ferry routes under development.
In the period following 31 December 2020 we are aware of 5 ferry services that have been established, as set out in table 1:
Table 1
Route | Operator | Date |
Tilbury - Calais | DfDS | June 2023 |
Medway (Sheerness) - Calais | DfDS | June 2021 |
Dover - Calais | Irish Ferries | June 2021 |
Teesport - Zeebrugge | CLdN | March 2023 |
Teesport - Rotterdam | CLdN | March 2023 |
Table 2 details Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off, freight) and Passenger Ferries (Roll on-Roll off freight and passenger) vessels with regular routes (120 times per year), i.e. those that could be considered freight or passenger ferries, between UK and EU/EEA countries:
Table 2
EU/EEA Route (UK port to EU/EEA port) | Destination Country | Vessel Type | Ship operator |
North Killingholme-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Purfleet-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Teesport-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Tilbury-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Esbjerg | Denmark | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Newhaven-Dieppe | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Plymouth-Roscoff | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | Condor Ferries |
Portsmouth-Le Havre | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS Seaways |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
St Helier Harbor-Saint-Malo | France | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Condor Ferries |
Immingham-Cuxhaven | Germany | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Fishguard-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Heysham-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | Seatruck Ferries |
Pembroke Dock-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Felixstowe-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Harwich-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
Hull-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
London-Vlissingen | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Shields-Ijmuiden | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Purfleet-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Immingham-Gothenburg | Sweden | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Data Source: Sea by Maritech
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the designated maritime routes are between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, ships' routeing measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for navigation and safety purposes, such as traffic separation schemes, operators and vessels are able to traverse any area of sea, or set up longer term regular routes where suitable market demand exists.
Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators in order to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. Government would not ordinarily expect to be involved in such decisions, or privy to operator business planning, and as such cannot provide formal details on ferry routes under development.
In the period following 31 December 2020 we are aware of 5 ferry services that have been established, as set out in table 1:
Table 1
Route | Operator | Date |
Tilbury - Calais | DfDS | June 2023 |
Medway (Sheerness) - Calais | DfDS | June 2021 |
Dover - Calais | Irish Ferries | June 2021 |
Teesport - Zeebrugge | CLdN | March 2023 |
Teesport - Rotterdam | CLdN | March 2023 |
Table 2 details Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off, freight) and Passenger Ferries (Roll on-Roll off freight and passenger) vessels with regular routes (120 times per year), i.e. those that could be considered freight or passenger ferries, between UK and EU/EEA countries:
Table 2
EU/EEA Route (UK port to EU/EEA port) | Destination Country | Vessel Type | Ship operator |
North Killingholme-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Purfleet-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Teesport-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Tilbury-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Esbjerg | Denmark | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Newhaven-Dieppe | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Plymouth-Roscoff | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | Condor Ferries |
Portsmouth-Le Havre | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS Seaways |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
St Helier Harbor-Saint-Malo | France | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Condor Ferries |
Immingham-Cuxhaven | Germany | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Fishguard-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Heysham-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | Seatruck Ferries |
Pembroke Dock-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Felixstowe-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Harwich-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
Hull-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
London-Vlissingen | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Shields-Ijmuiden | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Purfleet-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Immingham-Gothenburg | Sweden | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Data Source: Sea by Maritech
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 2633 on P&O Ferries: Port of Hull, when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency contacted the Bahamas Maritime Authority when UK seafarers were dismissed from employment on the P&O Ferries vessel Pride of Hull on 17 March 2022.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) first made contact with the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) on 21 March.
Following initial contact, the MCA were in regular contact with their counterparts in the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) in relation to P&O Ferries and safety compliance and concerns related to safety and seafarers working and living conditions.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has had since 17 March 2022 with the Bahamas Maritime Authority on the safety of P&O Ferries operating on international routes from the port of Hull.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have been in regular contact with their counterparts in the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) since 21 March in relation to P&O Ferries and safety compliance.
Further to the inspections carried out by the MCA and the Dutch authorities on the Pride of Hull, concerns related to safety and seafarers working and living conditions were discussed with the BMA.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Merchant Navy Training Board on P&O Ferries membership of the Maritime Apprenticeship Trailblazer Working Group.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Department is in discussions with the Merchant Navy Training Board regarding the seven P&O Ferriess’ apprentices that are still in training. The Merchant Navy Training Board are due to hold a meeting with the apprentices next month to understand their position and will keep the Department informed. The Department will intervene if there are any concerns. Our overall priority is the safety, protection and welfare of all seafarers.
Discussions with Cabinet colleagues continue on a range of issues.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support ferries as a strategic link with (a) the UK's trading partners as part of the Global Britain policy and (b) Northern Ireland to support the Union; whether the Government instructed the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to increase and intensify inspections of P&O Ferries' ships after the termination of 800 employees by that company and at what cost to the public purse; whether the MCA applied appropriate UK standards with respect to inspections of P&O Ferries' ships that were detained, specifically the European Causeway and the Pride of Kent; what effect MCA inspections had on ferry availability to the public and the transport industry; and what effect MCA inspections had on waiting times for those ferries.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Maritime 2050 sets out the government and industry's joint vision for the future of the UK’s maritime sector. In delivering this vision, we will support the sector to fulfil its role in helping the UK to build back better and to level up across regions. The ferry industry has a key part to play in this.
The safety of the travelling public is our top priority. Owing to the unprecedented actions of P&O Ferries and considering the significant number of UK travelling public who use these services, the Secretary of State instructed the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to carry out Port State Control inspections on the affected ferries, particularly owing to the large numbers of new crew that would be on board.
Three of the ships inspected, out of the seven looked at so far, were detained. The costs involved in respect of the detained vessels is recovered from the operator (at £147/hour). Port State Control inspections which do not result in the vessel being detained are not cost recoverable. All the affected vessels have been subject to Port State Control inspections as per the requirements of Paris Memorandum of Understanding to which the UK is signatory. This provides the processes and procedures that should be followed to ensure compliance with all international requirements concerning safety and seafarers working and living conditions.
The MCA’s role, as the Port State in this case, is to ensure that the vessels are meeting the necessary requirements in relation to safety and seafarers working and living conditions. P&O Ferries notified the MCA when their vessels were ready for inspection. Three of those vessels did not meet the requirements and were stopped from operating owing to safety concerns and this must take precedence over the availability of ferries. Following MCA inspections, P&O Ferries were responsible for deciding when their vessels would commence service.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the decision by P&O to dismiss 800 employees and replace them with sub-minimum wage agency workers, what steps his Department will take to uphold employment standards for seafaring workers.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
P&O Ferries made 800 seafarers redundant on Thursday 17 March without consultation.
The Secretary of State made a statement in Parliament on the 30 March to announce a package of measures to ensure employment standards for seafarers are upheld, and wider seafarer welfare and health and safety is addressed. Measures include improving the long-term working conditions for seafarers, including working through international organisations.
We are committed to seafarer protections and welfare and this is being taken forward as part of our nine-point plan.