Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Deferred
Paragraph: 91
The Department for Transport should publish the outcome of its consultation on maritime autonomy and...
Recommendation
The Department for Transport should publish the outcome of its consultation on maritime autonomy and remote operations as soon as possible so the sector has a Maritime 2050 57 clear understanding of the regulatory framework it will be operating within. The necessary reforms must be legislated for at the earliest opportunity; if not in the current parliamentary Session, then as a priority in the next.
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, but states the reforms cannot be legislated for during the current parliamentary session due to competing priorities elsewhere; the government response to the Future of Transport review will be published in the coming weeks and that providing legal certainty to industry in this area remains a priority that we will take forward when parliamentary time allows.
Paragraph Reference:
91
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The Government partially agrees. These reforms are necessary to support the growth of this industry, but we cannot legislate for them during the current parliamentary session due to competing priorities elsewhere. In 2021 DfT launched the Future of Transport Regulatory Review to ask fundamental questions about how transport is regulated to achieve a flexible, forward-looking regulatory framework that is fit for the future. In the review, the department sought views from industry and the public on proposals to take powers in primary legislation to allow Government to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for remotely operated and autonomous ships. As the TSC report points out, DfT plans to gain these legislative powers. However, the work to legislate this year had to make way for emergency legislation to address the cost-of-living crisis. It was right that such a decision was taken to address the economic challenges our country is facing. We can confirm that the Government response to the Future of Transport review will be published in the coming weeks and that providing legal certainty to industry in this area remains a priority that we will take forward when parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, the DfT and the MCA are engaging with the sector so that we can maintain progress together in this area in the absence of new primary powers at this time.