Member

The Government will support the formal adoption of these amendments this week—tomorrow, I believe—at the International Labour Conference. We would then expect the amendments, subject to some further processes, to come into force internationally at the end of 2027. We consider that these new provisions will have a meaningful impact in addressing sexual harassment in the sector and that, given the nature of the shipping industry, adopting internationally agreed standards is the most effective way of addressing this issue. A significant advantage of this international approach is its much broader application. While the provisions for a mandatory seafarers’ charter focus on some services that regularly enter UK ports, the new provision in the Maritime Labour Convention will apply to a much broader range of shipping, including cruise ships, to which my noble friend referred. We would expect it to be implemented by most, if not all, of the 110 states that have ratified the convention. We will, of course, keep the effectiveness of these measures under review.