§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of incentives granted by the Dutch Government to encourage the employment of Dutch crews in ferries operating out of the United Kingdom; and what plans he has to introduce similar incentives to promote crewing by United Kingdom crews. [7701]
§ Mr. NorrisThe Dutch Government have notified their proposed measures to the Commission, who will assess them for conformity with the treaty of Rome and the Commission's guidelines on state aid to shipping.
We are already pursuing a package of positive measures to improve the attractiveness of the red ensign and the competitiveness of British shipping. We will take further measures were merited, but it is not the Government's policy to match subsidies to shipping offered by other member states.