§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employment agencies for seamen have(a) been licensed, (b) had applications for licensing as an employment agency for seamen refused and (c) had their licences revoked in each year since 1973.
§ Mr. NorrisNinety-three licences in total have been granted to employment agencies for seamen since 1973. Prior to 1988 the Department of Transport refused licences to commercial agencies, and there were only nine licence holders. These consisted of seven Merchant Navy establishment administration offices, which all closed by 1990, and two unions. Information is not available as to when these nine licences were first issued. Since then, one licence was issued in 1988, 29 in 1990, 19 in 1991, 21 in 1992, 13 in 1993 and one in 1994. No licences have been refused since 1990 but two were revoked in 1993.