To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of vessels that have de-flagged from the Red Ensign Group where the shipowner cited the regulations under Part 5 of the Equality Act 2010 to prevent differential pay rates for seafarers from countries in the European Economic Area as the motivating factor in each year since 1 August 2011.

Since 1 August 2011, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is aware that two vessels have left the UK Ship Register where their owners have cited the reason for leaving as being the Equality Act.

Information relating to details of the other registers in the Red Ensign Group is not available to the MCA.