Latest News
Monday, May 13, 2013
Industry and RSPB demand review after bird deaths
The number of seabirds recorded washed up on beaches in two incidents along the English Channel, covered in polyisobutene (PIB), has passed 4,000. Now, leading wildlife conservation and animal welfare charities and the UK Chamber of Shipping, supported by the wider industry body MaritimeUK, have come together as a single voice to call for an [...]
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Marine Navigation Bill gains Royal Assent
The Marine Navigation Bill received Royal Assent on 29 April and will now be known as the Marine Navigation Act 2013, with commencement expected within a few months. Maritime UK welcomes the new Act which was originally a Private Member’s Bill promoted by Sheryll Murray MP containing a mix of different almost random measures but [...]
Friday, March 22, 2013
Budget ‘generally good news’ for maritime services
Consensus has been reached, and the news is good for the Chancellor. The 2013 Budget was broadly positive for the shipping, ports and maritime business services sectors. Measures which will have an impact on the shipping industry include a reduction in the main rate of UK corporation tax. This is 23 per cent for the [...]
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Going For Growth: A National Maritime Strategy
The UK shipping, ports and maritime business sectors have managed to survive the grim realities of the global economic crisis. Together the sectors support 535,000 UK jobs and contribute £32bn to the economy, with shipping moving 95% of the UK’s international trade. But even the humblest student of the industry will know that the UK’s [...]
Monday, March 11, 2013
Report: sulphur regs put economy and environment at risk
A new report, published today by AMEC, shows that the targets for shipping companies to reduce their sulphur emissions by 2015, could cause adverse environmental effects and result in a loss of 2,000 maritime services jobs, and place many more industrial jobs under threat. The report is the first of its kind to examine the [...]
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Guest post: Huw Irranca-Davies MP on the Arctic Convoy Medal
Huw Irranca-Davies is MP for Ogmore, former Wales Office and DEFRA Minister, and is the current shadow farming Minister. The men of the arctic convoys, during the Second World War gave steadfast service to the nation and our allies, ensuring that the people of Russia would not starve and that her military could sustain its [...]
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Regional Statistics Launched
For the first time, statistics will be launched tomorrow that shows the contribution of maritime services to the maritime economy in every region of the UK and, like the national figures published recently, they paint a picture of remarkable resilience in the face of continuing economic challenges. The healthy regional statistics are bolstered by news [...]
Monday, January 14, 2013
Cutting red tape is creating red tape
Since its election in 2010, the Government has rightly pursued a tidying up exercise of the statute book. Through the ‘Red Tape Challenge’, where businesses, unions and individuals are invited to identify regulations that are outdated or unnecessarily restrictive, Government has made a clear argument that it can help the private sector to become more [...]
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Maritime: The 500,000+ job industry – new statistics released
The fullest ever study of UK shipping, ports and maritime business shows remarkable resilience in the face of continuing economic challenges. The UK shipping industry has created 7,300 UK jobs in the past two years, and 537,500 UK jobs are now supported by the shipping, ports and maritime business sectors, according to a study by [...]
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Guest post: David Miliband on the Law of the Sea
David Miliband is the MP for South Shields. He was Foreign Secretary from 2007-2010 and Secretary of State for the Environment from 2006-2007. His guest article comes on the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea. Thirty years ago, the Cold War was at its height and the United Kingdom [...]
Monday, December 3, 2012
Cuts and complacency threaten counter-piracy effort
Maritime UK has expressed concern that Government cuts could be used as an excuse to reduce naval presence in the Indian Ocean, putting lives as risk from Somali-based pirates. Whilst we acknowledge that Indian Ocean piracy has been reduced, the business-model used by pirates remains highly lucrative, and any complacency in the international policing effort [...]
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Announcing London International Shipping Week
London is to host its own International Shipping Week in 2013. Maritime industry leaders from across the globe will gather in London during the week of 9-13 September 2013 for meetings and events, concluding in a day-long Government and industry conference and gala dinner. ‘London International Shipping Week – Propelling World Trade’ is organised by [...]
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Heseltine review echoes Maritime UK calls
Maritime UK has welcomed Lord Heseltine’s review ‘No stone unturned in pursuit of growth’. His independent review sets out the case for a rebalancing of responsibilities for economic development between Government and the private sector. In particular, Lord Heseltine echoed Maritime UK’s calls for an establishing an ‘Industry Council’, formalising the relationship between Government and [...]
Monday, October 22, 2012
New pamphlet: Sulphur regs bad for jobs
Maritime UK has been campaigning to raise awareness of new sulphur regulations coming into force in 2015. Whilst the need to reduce sulphur emissions from ships is proven, existing regulations will be bad for both the economy and the environment. To explain why, Maritime UK has today published a new pamphlet explaining the detail of [...]
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Marine Navigation Bill – a helpful contribution
Following its endorsement of the Marine Navigation Bill (No 2) introduced earlier this year by Sheryll Murray MP, Maritime UK is this week contacting MPs from all parties to brief them on the issues at play. A significant part of the Bill reflects existing practices, and serves to tidy up existing regulation and legislation that [...]
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Major challenges await the new Shipping Minister
Maritime UK has today welcomed the announcement of Stephen Hammond as the new Shipping Minister. Mr Hammond, MP for Wimbledon since 2005, is a former Shadow Transport Minister, and takes up his role in the Department for Transport in his first Ministerial position. Jim Stewart, Chairman of Maritime UK, said: “Mr Hammond comes into office [...]
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The success of the tonnage tax
Maritime UK has launched the first in a series of pamphlets designed to raise awareness of how the industry operates, and how it can bolster the UK economy. The tonnage tax regime was first implemented by then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in 2000. Since then the UK shipping sector has seen a remarkable turnaround [...]
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Reshuffle – a welcome and a warning
Maritime UK has today welcomed the appointment of Patrick McLoughlin as the new Transport Secretary, but warned of the impact constant reshuffling can have on transport policy. Jim Stewart, Chairman of Maritime UK, said ‘We have enjoyed a productive relationship with the Department for Transport since the 2010 General Election and we look forward to [...]
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Maritime UK warns of new piracy threat
Maritime UK has today expressed sincere concern over the steady rise in piracy, and piracy-related activity off the coast of West Africa. The efforts of the UK Government, the shipping industry, Royal Navy and international armed forces have shown a marked reduction in pirate activity in the Indian Ocean, but now a new threat is [...]
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Guest post: All-Party Group Update
Julian Brazier TD MP, writes a guest post exclusively for Maritime UK on the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Maritime & Ports Group. The All-Party Maritime and Ports Group is a well attended and connected forum for industry leaders to discuss issues with Parliamentarians. We meet on a regular basis, usually monthly at 5pm on [...]
