Tag: Ian Mearns

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) apprentice ratings and (b) officer cadets the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has trained in each year since 2009-10.

Mr Julian Brazier

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) started an Apprentice scheme with Ratings in 2015 and so far 50 apprentices have started training.

The numbers of Officer Cadets the RFA has trained in each year since 2009-10 are as follows:

2009-10	25
2010-11	25
2011-12	25
2012-13	25
2013-14	25
2014-15	25
2015-16	30 (to date)

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to respond to the recommendation in the Low Pay Commission’s Spring 2016 report on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) that HM Revenue and Customs investigation of third party reports of NMW breaches be subject to a public protocol.

Nick Boles

The Government is carefully considering the non-rate recommendations in the Low Pay Commission Spring 2016, and will respond in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 1.17 of the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security, published in May 2014, how many policy decisions in relation to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been taken to date by the ministerial working group on maritime security.

Penny Mordaunt

The Ministerial Working Group has not made any policy decisions on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The role of the RFA in providing logistic support to the Royal Navy (RN) is implicit within the support that the RN provides in delivering the National Strategy for Maritime Security.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on convening a cross-government and stakeholder working party on the application of the national minimum wage for seafarers; and when he expects that working party to meet.

Nick Boles

The application of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for seafarers continues to be considered by the cross-Government working group which is reviewing the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011.

The Government is working with key stakeholders through this working group to agree and finalise revised guidance on the NMW for seafarers which will be published shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to paragraph 1.17 of the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security, published in May 2014, how many meetings there have been of the ministerial working group on maritime security.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As Chairman, I write to the members of the Ministerial Working Group on maritime security biannually with operational and policy updates, the most recent of these was on 19 November. The Ministerial Working Group intends to meet in 2016 to discuss the implications of the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to implement recommendation 15 of the Department for Transport’s Maritime Growth Study, published in September 2015, on improving links between the Royal Navy and the wider UK maritime sector.

Penny Mordaunt

The Royal Navy (RN) has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to allow Warfare Officers to obtain commercial Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certificates of competency. Discussions with the MCA have commenced to develop a similar MOU for Engineer Officers and Ratings. More widely the RN continues to seek to align its training with STCW requirements. The RN Resettlement Service also offers impartial advice on second careers with many strong links with maritime sector organisations and companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to update the National Maritime Security Strategy to 2019 to include the Government’s policy on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Penny Mordaunt

The National Strategy for Maritime Security was published in May 2014 and remains relevant to today’s challenges in the maritime domain. However, as we implement the outcomes of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, we will consider whether the strategy should be reviewed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Ministerial colleagues on the potential effect of the recommendations of the Maritime Growth Study, published in September 2015, on the future supply of UK-domiciled merchant seafarers to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Penny Mordaunt

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) recruits and trains UK Merchant Seafarers for service with the RFA. The RFA as one of the largest trainers of UK seafarers is fully engaged with the UK Chamber of Shipping and Merchant Navy Training Board in shaping the current and future training requirements of seafarers. The RFA as part of the wider Naval Service is represented at the Ministerial Working Groups for the Maritime Growth Study by the Royal Navy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Maritime Information Centre holds live records on the range of merchant shipping that is UK-owned.

James Brokenshire

The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) plays an integral role in the delivery of the UK National Strategy for Maritime Security. One of the NMIC’s roles is to monitor and track maritime activity around the UK and in areas of national interest around the globe in response to taskings from Government departments or agencies. This is achieved by using a variety of systems which include the interpretation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder data which enables the NMIC to identify and monitor all vessels transmitting on the AIS system. The systems available to the NMIC can identify all Red Ensign Group vessels using AIS, that is vessels registered on one of the international shipping registries operated by the UK (including a Crown Dependency or an Overseas Territory). There are vessels owned by UK entities that are registered in other states and therefore fly the flag of that state. It may not be immediately apparent that such vessels have a UK owner, however, they will still appear on the NMIC systems.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-06-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (a) operational and (b) crew costs were in each year from 2008-09 to 2015-16.

Penny Mordaunt

The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.