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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will instruct the Working Group conducting the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 to (a) review and (b) make recommendations on enforcement of the national minimum wage for seafarers employed on (i) UK and (ii) non-UK registered vessels.

Mr Robert Goodwill

I refer the honourable Member to my response of 29 January 2016 (UIN 24307) http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=24307.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the practice of nationality-based pay differentials in the (a) UK, (b) European and (c) international shipping industry.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Issues relating to the practice of nationality based differential pay and UNCLOS are being considered by the Post Implementation Review of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 which is due to complete by the autumn of 2016.

Under UNCLOS, coastal States do not interfere in the ‘internal economy’ of foreign flagged ships on innocent passage in their territorial waters. However, seafarers have a range of potential employment protection where they work, or ordinarily work, in the United Kingdom. In a recent case the Court held that this applies to seafarers working from a base situated in Great Britain, even if they are employed on a non-UK flagged ship, and that ship spends most of its time outside Great Britain.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes to the annual seafarer statistics published by his Department were made as a result of his Department’s methodological review of projected seafarer numbers; when that review was conducted; and if he will publish the findings of that review.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review was sent out by the Crown Commercial Service on Tuesday 19 January 2016 and the closing date for bids is Tuesday 1 March 2016.

Seafarer Statistics 2015, published on 27 January 2016, was produced using the same methodology as in previous years. As mentioned in the release, in 2016, the department will be undertaking a user engagement exercise to find out more about how the Seafarer Statistics are used and to collate views on the methodology. The aim of this will be to identify any opportunity for methodological improvements and ensure that the statistics continue to be fit for purpose.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group (TWG); when he expects Maritime TWG apprenticeships to be available to employees and employers in the shipping industry; and what estimate he has made of the number of new seafarer ratings that will be trained through apprenticeships developed through the Maritime TWG.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Maritime skills and apprenticeships, including the maritime trailblazer, were discussed at the first meeting of the new Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth on 30^th November 2015. The group comprises Ministers and senior officials from across Whitehall including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and industry representative including from the Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group.

The Maritime Apprenticeships Trailblazer Working Group is an employer led group. The able seafarer (deck) standard is now approved and ready for delivery and others are in development. Once a standard is ready for delivery it is open to any employer or training provider for delivery.

It is too early to make an assessment on the number of new seafarer ratings that will be trained through apprenticeships, but the Department is currently reviewing seafarer projections across the industry.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from the road haulage sector and hauliers on the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy.

Andrew Jones

The department has regular meetings with the road haulage sector trade bodies and hauliers on a wide variety of issues, including skills, at both Ministerial and official level. These have not focussed specifically on the Transport Infrastructure Skills Strategy, which addresses the technical, engineering and construction skills needed to deliver the department’s unprecedented infrastructure investment.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has recently approved the Logistics Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standard and the department will be working with colleagues to support the industry in rolling out this apprenticeship.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-01-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which recommendations from the (a) skills section and (b) other sections of the Maritime Skills Study the Government plans to implement; and what the timescale for implementation will be.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Government formally responded to the Study in December 2015 accepting all the recommendations directed to government and progress is already being made.

A new Ministerial Working Group for Maritime Growth has been established to drive growth and tackle issues affecting the sector. The Working Group, including representatives from industry, met for the first time in November 2015 and discussed a range of issues around maritime skills including expanding apprenticeships (recommendation 11).

In addition, the Government has issued an invitation to tender for the Seafarer Projections Review (recommendation 7). The review of SMarT – Support for Maritime Training (recommendation 9) will need to take account of the Seafarer Projections work and will follow in four to six weeks’ time.

Officials are also working with the Department for Education and the Ministry of Defence on the recommendations pertaining to increasing youth awareness of seafaring and better links to the Royal Navy and the wider maritime sector (recommendations 13 and 15).

The other recommendations concerning skills are directed primarily at industry.