26
Jul 22

The Weekly Bulletin: Friday 22nd July 2022

Welcome to this week’s Chamber Bulletin. This week we saw the Conservative Party whittle down the next Prime Minister to two candidates. As we all await the outcome in early September the Chamber will be continuing to engage with the current government on a range of issues. We are also making plans to ensure the new government is aware of the vital role of shipping and how the industry can help deliver on a range of government priorities. 


Website upgrade - final workshop

Plans for an overhaul of our website are well underway and we’d like to thank those Chamber members who have fed back already. The final workshop for members to express their views about the current site and what they would like to see the new site deliver is found below:

Final workshop date: (being held virtually)

  • Tuesday 2 August - 11am to Midday

If you would like to attend this workshop, please email Communications Director Tom Bartosak-Harlow and you will be provided with the login details.


Chamber recruitment – digital communications

We are looking to recruit a Digital Communications Manager to lead on our content across the Chamber’s social media channels and website. The ideal candidate will be a driven digital professional keen to provide creative ideas and lead engagement externally on the chamber’s social media channels and website to promote the organisation’s policy priorities.

If you are interested in applying please get in touch with Oscar Cabrera at our specialist communications recruitment agency Ellwood Atfield.


Seafarers Wages Bill

The Government's Seafarers Wages Bill was widely supported during its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Wednesday. Several useful interventions were made concerning the international precedent being set and the need for secondary legislation, around the 9 Point Plan, to be developed before September when the bill will be reviewed by the House of Lords Grand Committee process. The Chamber continues to facilitate discussions between members and the Department for Transport. 

Read the debate here

Watch the debate here (skip to 16:02)


New Border Force strategy

This week the Home Office announced their strategy with UK Visas and Immigration on the steps they are to take to streamline border force control and digitalise legal migration.

The strategy aims to build on changes that have already been made to the employer sponsorship system by further improving the online management system to be more user friendly, and the introduction of automated data checks for ease.

As part of a Permission to Travel Scheme launching in 2023, the Home Office is encouraging the use of eVisas, alongside the introduction of an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme to enable more upstream security checks to be undertaken for non-visa nationals. To better support carriers, the Home Office is currently developing a single, integrated approach to security, immigration and health pre-departure checks so that carriers receive confirmation from the Home Office whether an individual has permission to travel when they submit API data. The Chamber will continue to keep members updated once further details are announced.

 

Environment update

The Safety and Environment Committee held a well-attended hybrid meeting on Wednesday in London. The meeting included discussions on how it should conduct its work post-pandemic to strengthen further the linkage between the Chamber’s strategy and engagement with other Chamber’s forums efficiently and effectively. Another key outcome of this meeting is the establishment of two additional expert working groups to support the Committee’s work on evaluating safety standards of alternative fuels and underwater noise developments. The next meeting will be held on 16 November 2022.

The Department for Transport published the summaries of the responses to the call for evidence on shore power this week. The Department will use this evidence to inform further policy development. We expect a consultation on specific proposals to support the uptake of shore power to be launched later this year. We have been actively lobbying for a mandate on shore power for ports and ships over the past few months and will continue collaborating with the UK Government and other stakeholders to establish a mandatory shore power framework in the UK. 


New publication – The OSV Guide

This new publication in partnership with Witherbys is a guide to the operation and management of offshore support vessels (OSVs). The Guide describes the differences between the offshore industry and conventional marine activity, covering areas such as towing procedures and environmental regulatory compliance. It is designed to be a valuable aid to learning and a useful reference source, particularly when complemented by other training resources.

You can buy the new guide directly from Witherbys here.


Have a lovely weekend,

Sarah