HC Deb 14 April 2003 vol 403 c585W
Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are to relocate Stranraer railway station after the cessation of passenger ferry services from Stranraer. [108970]

Mr. Jamieson

There are no current plans to relocate Stranraer railway station.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on employment conditions of non-UK citizens on ferries from UK ports.[108971]

Mr. Jamieson

The United Kingdom has ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 180 on limiting seafarers' working hours and the related Protocols to ILO 147 which provides for the enforcement of ILO 180 on all sea-going ships calling at UK ports.

We also intend to ratify ILO Convention 178 concerning the implementation of seafarers' working and living conditions.

All UK registered ships are required to have crew agreements, covering both UK and non-UK citizens, which either comply with one of the UK's two standard agreements, or which have been approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The MCA checks crew agreements to ensure that they comply with the ILO Convention on Articles of Agreement, and also comply with relevant UK merchant shipping legislation.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed on ferries operating from UK ports; and of those, how many are(a) UK, (b) other EU and (c) non-EU citizens. [108972]

Mr. Jamieson

The Department does not compile information on the nationalities of seafarers employed on ferries operating from UK ports.