State Aid To The U.k. Shipping Industry

EDM number 612 in 1990-91, proposed by Alan Meale on 18/03/1991.

That this House joins with the trade union RMT, the representative body of merchant navy ratings in Britain, in congratulating the General Council of British Shipping, the industry's employers' organisation, for its current campaign to gain ú60 million of budget aid for the United Kingdom merchant fleet; but in doing so, draws attention firstly to the past experiences of state aid to the United Kingdom merchant shipping industry, whereby direct and indirect subsidies have been channelled towards investment in foreign tonnage and the employment of low cost, third world crews; in particular points to the fact that the extension of the business expansion programme scheme to the shipping industry in 1987 failed to produce a single job for the United Kingdom rating; secondly, bears in mind the record of many members of the Council of British Shipping whose own companies have the practice in their deep sea, cruise and cargo fleets of the employment of low cost, third world ratings with many vessels flagged out to off shore registries; and therefore states that, whilst wishing every success to the employers' request for extra financial help to the industry, such assistance should be conditional upon the employment of United Kingdom-domiciled ratings, as well as the registration of vessels on the United Kingdom mainland register.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.