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Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Working Conditions

Asked by John McDonnellLabourMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 2 March 2026UIN 113449

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the application of merchant shipping legislation to crew accommodation standards on each Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) complies with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, as mandated by law. In respect of those provisions that are not legally binding, the RFA endeavours to uphold an equivalent standard wherever practicable. Deviation from these standards will only occur when necessitated by urgent operational requirements.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will monitor shipboard standards against the requirements of the MLC as part of the ISM Code Safety Management certification process.

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