Sea Sunday 11 July 2010

EDM number 321 in 2010-12, proposed by Jim Dobbin on 24/06/2010.
Categorised under the topics of Charities and Shipping.

That this House recalls Britain's proud maritime heritage and notes that 90 per cent. of world trade travels by sea, 95 per cent. of United Kingdom imports and exports travel by sea and 146,000 merchant ships arrive in British ports annually, contributing to the nearly £40 billion annual turnover of the British maritime sector; acknowledges that the inherent problems for many thousands of merchant seafarers of dangerous conditions, low pay, poor morale, sickness and separation from family are sometimes exacerbated by exploitative employers sailing under flags of convenience; congratulates the national charity, the Apostleship of the Sea, on the anniversary of its creation some 90 years ago and on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers who visit British shores through 13 port chaplains and over 120 volunteers in 57 ports and berthing facilities across Great Britain; extends its best wishes for the organisation's future; hopes that the Apostleship of the Sea and its ecumenical partners, the Mission for Seafarers and the Sailors' Society, which provide generously for the welfare of seafarers, benefit from the greater awareness of their mission stimulated by Sea Sunday on 11 July 2010; and urges all businesses which transport goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens during this International Maritime Organisation Year of the Seafarer and to encourage their shipping providers to adopt minimum levels of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

This motion has been signed by a total of 36 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.