Seafarers pay at Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd

That this House notes the skill and dedication of seafarers at Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL) who for the last forty five years have shipped hazardous nuclear waste from Barrow to storage destinations as far away as Australia; notes that PNTL’s contract is 75 per cent funded by the Japanese Government and that the company is a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA); supports public ownership but is alarmed that the Government has introduced a requirement on all NDA operating companies to align pay with the 0 per cent pay settlement for non-NHS public sector staff in 2021-22; notes that PNTL’s commercial operation of a public contract delivered £8.6 million dividends to shareholders between 2019 and 2021; supports public investment in jobs and training for UK seafarers; and calls on the Government to work with the recognised trade unions to lift the pay cap on PNTL seafarers for 2021-22 and in future years.