{"id":63709,"date":"2015-11-04T16:12:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-04T16:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=f5f846b7c7bc6537c5431246bfe44105"},"modified":"2015-11-04T16:12:00","modified_gmt":"2015-11-04T16:12:00","slug":"speech-the-importance-of-britains-maritime-pilots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=63709","title":{"rendered":"Speech: The importance of Britain’s maritime pilots"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Good morning.<\/p>\n

It is a pleasure to join you on this historic ship, whose role in the North Atlantic convoys reminds us of how seafarers have served our country in the past.<\/p>\n

As some of you may know, I am the proud owner of a historic vessel myself.<\/p>\n

The MV Coronia – one of the little ships that saw service at Dunkirk.<\/p>\n

She rescued 900 men that day, making 3 runs to and from the French beaches.<\/p>\n

And today she works the Yorkshire coast offering short cruises to the people of Scarborough.<\/p>\n

But just as importantly, she gives me a direct stake in our maritime sector.<\/p>\n

So this morning I want share some of my hopes for our industry.<\/p>\n

But first, let us remember the things that already make British maritime great.<\/p>\n

Our world leading maritime business services.<\/p>\n

Our prestigious flag.<\/p>\n

Our skilled workforce.<\/p>\n

Our competitive tax regime.<\/p>\n

And our safe, efficient and successful ports, in which our pilots play the central role.<\/p>\n

In conditions like these, our maritime sector should grow and thrive.<\/p>\n

The opportunity of world trade<\/h2>\n

For centuries, sea trade has defined our way of life on this island, and in recent times it has helped lift millions out of poverty around the world.<\/p>\n

Today, over 80% of global trade is moved by sea.<\/p>\n

And by 2030, sea trade is predicted to double.<\/p>\n

With trade so reliant on the maritime sector, our challenge is a good one.<\/p>\n

How do we prepare for this growth?<\/p>\n

That was the question we asked when we commissioned the \u2018Maritime Growth Study<\/a>\u2019 a year ago.<\/p>\n

When it was published in September, the report made some important recommendations; such as that we need to strengthen leadership, promote the industry, and support the workforce.<\/p>\n

The government is now carefully considering how we can best put these recommendations into effect.<\/p>\n

And ahead of our formal response, change is already under-way – the Maritime and Coastguard Agency<\/a> is being reformed to support our ambition to see more ships joining the UK Ship Register.<\/p>\n

The role of government<\/h2>\n

But if there is one thing we can learn from maritime history, it is that governments do best when they give the market the freedom to do its job. <\/p>\n

We must guard against protectionism, and overzealous regulation.<\/p>\n

We must promote competition, while doing what is necessary to ensure our seafarers are well trained, and enjoy a safe environment in which to work.<\/p>\n

And for that, we must work together.<\/p>\n

I commend the guidance your Association has developed, with North P&I Club insurance, on the exchange of information that takes place every time a pilot boards a ship.<\/p>\n

And I am glad that representatives from ports and shipping, including Captain Don Cockrill, the Association\u2019s Chairman, are reviewing the \u2018Port Marine Safety Code<\/a>\u2019 and its \u2018guide to good practice<\/a>\u2019 to make sure the code and the guide are as clear and as effective as possible.<\/p>\n

I agree with Captain Cockrill\u2019s suggestion that the new version of the code must include advice on resolving
\nmaritime disagreements.<\/p>\n

Maritime skills<\/h2>\n

And as global sea trade grows, we need more seafarers; Deck Officers, Engineering Officers, Chief Mates and Masters, many of whom may develop their careers as the pilots of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

So I am excited about the UK Global Maritime Knowledge Hub that will be sited at Wirral Waters.<\/p>\n

The Hub is a new addition to the UK\u2019s maritime training institutions, of which we already have the greatest concentration in Europe, doing world-class research and providing respected qualifications – and it will grow the UK\u2019s Maritime skills base.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also delighted that Associated British Ports is inviting applications for its Marine Pilotage apprenticeship
\nprogramme.<\/p>\n

And by the work of Port Skills and Safety<\/a> to develop a marine pilot certificate to help ports and pilots record their training and skills.<\/p>\n

These are vital investments in training for this critical role on which our ports depend.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, through the \u00a315 million support for maritime training fund<\/a>, this government continues to invest in training for officers and ratings. <\/p>\n

The fund contributes significantly towards the cost of Merchant Navy training, as well as supporting existing seafarers who seek to qualify as officers.<\/p>\n

International regulation<\/h2>\n

But no speech on shipping would be complete without touching on the international nature of the sector.<\/p>\n

The world needs international shipping, and that means governments must work together.<\/p>\n

Radically different rules for different parts of the world rarely make sense.<\/p>\n

Rival regulatory regimes tend to increase cost and inefficiency.<\/p>\n

So we must ensure that in the years ahead we support effective international law.<\/p>\n

And I believe that the International Maritime Organization<\/a> is the right forum for those efforts.<\/p>\n

And while action from regional bodies to open world markets and support free trade should be welcomed, we must always seek global action to produce a level playing field and avoid the distortions of regionally
\nderived rules.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

So, in conclusion.<\/p>\n

In recent decades, the maritime sector has shown its spirit of innovation and enterprise.<\/p>\n

We will depend on that spirit in coming decades, too.<\/p>\n

Governments can play their part, but they can never exceed the ingenuity of those who work in the industry – on land or sea or both – to deliver safety, prosperity and opportunity for us all. <\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sea trade is set to grow, and the UK’s maritime pilots will help secure that growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63709"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63718,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63709\/revisions\/63718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}