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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the average cost to (a) the public purse and (b) industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) is the Government’s financial support scheme for merchant navy training and is available to eligible shipping companies who sponsor eligible trainees that take approved courses.

The total amount that can be claimed per trainee is listed in the table below. SMarT funding is not available for on-board services trainees.

* MNTB – Merchant Navy Training Board; MCA – Maritime and Coastguard Agency

The MCA does not collate information on the cost to industry of training a seafarer (i) officer cadet, (ii) deck rating, (iii) engine rating, (iv) catering rating and (v) on-board services.

The total cost of training to each shipping company would vary depending upon a number of factors such as the type of course the trainee has taken, the nautical college attended (where applicable) and associated tuition fees, the amount of any training allowance paid, accommodation costs, travel and uniform costs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency retaining core responsibility for the (a) commercial promotion and (b) auditing and assurance of the Red Ensign Group of Shipping Registers.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Secretary of State for Transport has ultimate responsibility for the safety of all British shipping and has delegated authority to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to ensure that the standards maintained by Red Ensign Group (REG) shipping registries operated by UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are in accordance with their International obligations.

Commercial promotion and marketing is the responsibility of the individual shipping registries. The registers operate on the basis of mutual support rather than in direct commercial completion.

The MCA’s promotion of the REG shipping registries is limited to ensuring that they all maintain the same core high standards and international obligations as the REG ship registers are represented as a single member state within the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by the UK.

Overseeing, monitoring, enforcing of standards, the audit and assurance of the REG shipping registries, is undertaken by the MCA’s Business Improvement and Assurance (BI&A) team which is independent from the UK Ship Register (UKSR). As part of this process, the BI&A team will monitor REG members to ensure that they have in place the necessary resources and infrastructure appropriate to the types and size of ships they wish to register.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking in preparation for the International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting in autumn 2016 to ensure an agreement for controlling international aviation emissions; and who he plans will represent the UK at that conference.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government is working hard to reach agreement in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on a global market-based measure to tackle aviation emissions. The UK has a seat on the ICAO High-Level Group responsible for developing a proposal on the design of the global market-based measure. We also contribute to the working groups undertaking the technical and analytical work to support the future implementation of the measure.

We want this year’s 39^th ICAO Assembly to take a positive decision towards the implementation of a global market-based measure from 2020 that is environmentally effective, minimises competitive distortions and is as administratively simple as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish proposals for changing the status of the UK Ship Register within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and whether he plans that those proposals will be subject to public consultation.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Work by the department to explore options for ensuring the future competitiveness of the UK Ship Register is in progress. Any proposals for a change in status that are developed will be subject to appropriate consultation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the UK Ship Register’s obligations are in relation to seafarers’ (a) employment and (b) collective bargaining agreements; and whether he plans to make changes to those obligations as a result of the recommendations of the (i) Maritime Growth Study and (ii) UK Ship Register Advisory Panel.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Seafarers’ employment conditions and collective bargaining agreements are a matter for agreement between management and workers/employers and seafarers.

The UK Ship Register’s obligation is to enforce UK regulations ((Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc) 2014). These regulations implement the international requirements relating to living and working conditions on board (the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006).

No changes to that obligation were recommended by the Maritime Growth Study or UK Ship Register Advisory Panel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and which (a) ministers and (b) officials he plans will represent the UK at the International Maritime Organisation conference on controlling shipping emissions.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The 69th Session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee will be held from 18 to 22 April 2016 at the IMO, at which a number of environmental matters will be discussed, including air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.

No Ministers are attending. 14 Government officials plan to attend the committee; one from the Department of Energy and Climate Change; one from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and 12 from the Department for Transport including seven from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.