§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action is currently being undertaken by his Department to achieve improved standards for the training and certification of seafarers.
§ Mr. NorrisThe Department has undertaken a complete review of the way in which training for seafarers is delivered and the nature of the qualifications issued. A pilot project to test these new methods of assessment is about to commence using the functional approach embraced by national and Scottish vocational qualifications.
Internationally, the United Kingdom attaches great importance to the forthcoming revision of the existing Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978. The Department will be playing a leading role in this complete review and will be putting forward the vocational qualification aproach as a means of improving the standard.