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 steps he is taking to prevent unemployment among key workers in the (a) shipping and (b) ports sectors as a result of the economic effect of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department’s officials and I have been working closely with businesses across the maritime sector, including shipping and port operators, to understand the impact and challenges they face from the global COVID-19 crisis.
The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures to support businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, worth £350 billion. We are providing the sector with guidance on how to access the government's business support schemes, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
On 24 April we announced a package of support to maintain services on critical freight routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and between Great Britain and mainland Europe. The Government has also put together an emergency support package for lifeline ferry services, with up to £10.5m being allocated to safeguard vital transport links connecting the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly to the British mainland.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to protect workers in the (a) shipping and (b) ports sectors from redundancy during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
To support maritime businesses and seafarer jobs that have been impacted by the outbreak of Covid-19, the Government has made available a series of unprecedented financial support packages, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Any employer with a UK bank account and PAYE scheme is eligible for a grant to cover 80% of the wages of its employees, up to £2500 per month.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that major employers of UK seafarers do not make staff redundant due to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is designed to help employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) to retain their employees and protect the UK economy. The scheme will help businesses to retain staff and reduce the need for redundancies.
Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any employer, including those employing seafarers.
My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has now announced that the scheme will be extended, in full, until the end of July. After July, we will introduce more flexibility to the furlough scheme so that we move out of it in a measured way that protects people’s incomes and helps support furloughed employees as they return to work. This will run for three months from August through to the end of October.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that up to 2,000 UK seafarers have been stranded on ships. [T]
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government reaffirmed its commitment to welfare for all seafarers to the ILO and IMO at the start of this crisis, which we will continue to uphold.
According to DfT data, the number of British crew members currently working on cruise vessels around the globe is closer to 1,400 rather than 2,000.
We recognise this is a worrying time for British crew on board cruise ships around the world. It is primarily the responsibility of their employers – the cruise ship operators – to ensure the welfare and safety of their staff. However, the Government continues to monitor the welfare of all UK seafarers and is working to support employers in their repatriation efforts for all non-essential staff.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether UK domiciled seafarers will be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
UK domiciled seafarers who are employed by an entity that has a UK PAYE scheme as at 19th March and a UK bank account are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the crewing of merchant ships on the (a) UK, (b) Red Ensign Group and (c) Flag of Convenience shipping registers during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
These matters are flag blind, I wrote to the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization on 23rd March stating that as a port state the UK will continue to recognise its international obligations and allow seafarers to transit and transfer in the UK and to access shore leave.
I have spoken with Lord Ahmad (Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) regarding specific issues with the repatriation of seafarers.
As the flag state authority, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has made specific measures in regard certification and employment to aid shipowners and seafarers with crewing arrangements.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect that restrictions on the international aviation industry in response to the pandemic covid-19 pandemic are having on the ability of the merchant shipping industry to ensure that merchant seafarers in the (a) UK and (b) international shipping industry can return home at the end of their contracted voyage in line with (i) the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014 and (ii) Regulation 2.5 of the Maritime Labour Convention.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has been very clear that the pandemic does not remove the duty of care that ship operators have to their seafarers.
I wrote to the UN agencies on 23rd March setting out the UK will continue to permit seafarers to transit and transfer in the UK and access to shore leave. This letter was shared with all state parties to the agencies. The ILO and the International Maritime Organization have also issued guidance to all state parties to recognise seafarers as key workers and to remind states of their obligations under international maritime law to facilitate the movement of seafarers and to allow seafarers to be repatriated.
I have spoken with Lord Ahmad (Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) regarding specific issues with the repatriation of seafarers.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether foreign shipping companies operating from UK ports are eligible for Government assistance in paying 80 per cent of seafarers’ wages under the terms of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether offshore-registered crewing agencies supplying seafarers to the UK shipping industry are eligible for Government assistance in paying 80 per cent of seafarers’ wages under the terms of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will issue guidance to (a) seafarers, (b) shipping companies and (c) international shipping registers working or operating in the UK shipping industry on access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Any entity with a UK payroll can apply to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as long as they have: (1) created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020, (2) enrolled for PAYE online and (3) a UK bank account. This applies to any organisation including those listed in these questions. Further guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.