Written question asked by Brian Leishman (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 June 2026. It was answered by Keir Mather (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Offshore Industry: Helicopters

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Maritime and Coastguard Agency, (b) Civil Aviation Authority and (c) Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on oil and gas employers’ proposals on the weight limit for offshore oil and gas workers being transported by helicopter.

Answer: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency responded to the Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) report on the “identification of hazards related to the weight, size, and shape of offshore oil and gas workers in the UK” in September 2024 and March 2025, expressing safety concerns based on the increasing weight of offshore oil and gas workers (as per the OEUK report) and stating the absolute limits of winch and rescue equipment, and subjective considerations such as challenges with manual handling.

Secondary information