Written question asked by Louise Haigh (Labour) on Friday, 22 April 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 26 April 2022. It was answered by Robert Courts (Conservative) on Wednesday, 27 April 2022 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Ferries: Minimum Wage

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to provide new statutory powers to British ports to refuse access to regular ferry services which do not pay their crew the National Minimum Wage.

Answer: Legislation will be introduced as soon as possible into Parliament that intends to make access to UK ports conditional on the payment of seafarers equivalent to National Minimum Wage for vessels visiting UK ports on a frequent and scheduled basis. This is to close gaps in legislation to ensure seafarers with a close connection to the UK receive this pay protection. We will shortly be publishing a public consultation on this, setting out full details of the proposals, and seeking views on the scope and enforcement.

Secondary information