Minister of state for transport, Robert Goodwill has pledged that it will grow the UK's seafaring sector.

The shipping and ports minister has committed to taking steps to drive growth along the maritime sector to make the UK more attractive to ship owners and will open it up to new areas of investment.

A large focus will also be placed on training in the maritime sector to identify skills gaps, support maritime education and promote the range of careers that are vaulable in this sector.

The DfT will also be looking forward to how many seafarers are needed and will be aiming to improve career opportunities, which will include a review of the government's support for maritime training (SMarT) scheme.

Currently, the UK's maritime sector contributes £11 billion to the economy each year and it also supports 113,000 jobs and 6,600 businesses.

Speaking on the proposed growth, Mr Goodwill said that he is "determined that the UK grows as a major international shipping country".

He continued on to say "we face strong competition across the world and it is vital we stay ahead of the curve".