Corporate report

MCA Business Plan 2021 to 2022

Published 13 May 2021

Non-Executive Chair’s introduction

I am pleased to present the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Business Plan for 2021-2022. Michael Parker stood down as the Agency’s Non-Executive Chairman at the end of February 2021 and I pay tribute to his outstanding contribution to the Agency’s continued success at a difficult time because of the public health challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. I have taken on the role of Acting Non-Executive Chairman until the formal appointment of Michael’s replacement.

These are difficult and challenging times for the Agency, the shipping industry and the country. The MCA will play its part in keeping lives safe and supporting the importance of shipping in maintaining food and other supplies. We will be ready for when the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, and the shipping industry and its seafarers need our services to get back to full operational mode.

Brian Johnson has had two full years in the MCA as Chief Executive and has made significant changes to the Agency’s leadership team

Looking ahead we face challenges but also exciting opportunities. One area of innovation is the Agency’s future aviation strategy. The Agency also has a pivotal role to play in supporting the government’s drive to reduce carbon emissions from shipping. The Agency is also taking an important role with regards to the regulation and development of autonomous shipping. These areas will continue to grow and be significant to the future of the shipping industry and economic success of the wider maritime sector.

Following the completion of the Survey and Inspection Transformation Programme we have a team of high-quality surveyors and once the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted, we will again be fully delivering our survey and inspection programme. It is encouraging that customer feedback in respect of our inspection and surveying service has been positive over the year.

In addition to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic, there is also continued uncertainty about arrangements following our exit from the European Union which caused some ship owners to leave the United Kingdom Ship Register. We will be working with our colleagues in the Department for Transport and Ministers to explore the policy options that would make the United Kingdom Ship Register more attractive. It was a significant achievement to see the United Kingdom Flag positioned at the very top of the Paris MoU “White List”.

Noel Shanahan Acting Non-Executive Chair

Chief Executive’s foreword

I am delighted to present our public-facing Business Plan for 2021-2022. My continuing focus is on building a strong leadership capability across the MCA. We have made good progress in the past 12 months and there is more to be done.

The arrival of the Covid 19 pandemic has and continues to have a huge impact on the nation generally and of course on the work and operation of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. Despite the challenges that Covid 19 has placed upon us, we continue to provide our first-class HM Coastguard emergency service provision and remain committed to our survey and inspection regime within national and international restrictions.

As a result of the pandemic, we had to make alternative arrangements for ship and seafarer certification, and face-to-face examinations for seafarers had to be stopped. We continue to deliver these services to the best of our abilities and have taken the opportunity where possible to work differently using remote technology

In these uncertain and unprecedented times, we will use our best endeavours to deliver what we can in the circumstances. It is not possible for us to commit to specific numerical targets for all of our activities in this plan. However, we do anticipate that restrictions from the Covid 19 pandemic will begin to lift towards the end of 2021. This will enable us to further deliver on our commitments to our survey and inspection regime, as well as fulfil our other customer facing services.

Our Leadership Team have focussed our work on the themes of Safety & Sustainability, Growth and Innovation. We have set ourselves a number of demanding and challenging strategic objectives that we will work towards.

Implementing outstanding Marine Accident Investigation Branch safety recommendations, and also tackling the legacy backlog of legislation to meet our international obligations remain a priority for us. Progress has been made in both areas. Subject to agreeing a precise timetable with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), we expect to see the audit of the United Kingdom Maritime Administration in 2021 against the demanding standards of the Implementation of IMO Instruments Code.

We will continue to build on the success of performance following our survey and inspection transformation. Despite the particular challenge for supporting the shipping industry and its seafarers once the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted, we will make this a priority. This Business Plan sets out how we will work with Ministers to make the United Kingdom Ship Register more attractive and commercially responsive as part of a wider set of activities to boost the economic success of the maritime sector as a whole, including the UK’s reputation for legal and financial services.

The government published the Maritime 2050 strategy just over two years ago and the MCA is playing a major role in supporting the ambitions set out within it. In 2021-2022 we will look to position the United Kingdom as the Innovative flag of choice, supporting the development and implementation of emerging fuels and technologies, with a key drive towards reducing emissions and with the support and development of autonomous shipping.

2020 was a successful year for the UK Ship Register, which was top in the latest Paris MoU league table of high performing Flag States. This is a real achievement and goes to show the hard work that has gone into improving the UK Ship Register. We will continue the good work throughout 2021-22. In particular, we are working across government departments to develop a range of initiatives that will make the UK Ship Register even more attractive to our existing and new customers alike.

We will take a prominent role both internationally and domestically to prepare the maritime sector to be ready to meet the challenging targets for emission reductions as set out in the Clean Maritime Plan.

We added fixed wing reconnaissance planes to our available assets to provide a more cost-effective search capability. The same planes are supporting other government functions. We continue to investigate new innovative technologies including the use of unmanned aircraft.

Preparations are underway for deciding our future search and rescue aviation needs. The Programme (search and rescue second generation) will build on existing collaborative work to deliver an innovative and harmonised pan-government aviation capability. Already the largest operator of aviation in government outside of the Ministry of Defence, I want the MCA to be the value for money provider of civilian aviation services to all of government. We will be working closely with the National Police Air Service to support their efforts to modernise their aviation operations.

The Coastguard Rescue Service (CRS) already delivers outstanding support for our local communities. Our 3,500 volunteers, led and supported by over 100 professional Coastguard Officers, continue to increase their ability to tackle new challenges, including national flood response and drowning prevention work. Their training and technical rescue equipment are first class.

In addition to the responsive services for which the Coastguard is recognised, we continue to put a greater emphasis on accident prevention. We are working collaboratively with the RNLI to deliver safety messages to the general public and practical interventions to local communities.

Brian Johnson Chief Executive

Who we are and what we do

Maritime & Coastguard Agency

1.1 The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

1.2. We produce legislation and guidance and provide certification to ships and seafarers. Through our survey and inspection regime, we enforce standards for ship safety, security, pollution prevention and seafarer health, safety and welfare. We promote maritime standards, encourage economic growth and minimise the maritime sector’s environmental impact.

1.3 We provide a 24-hour maritime and coastal search and rescue emergency coordination and response service for the United Kingdom.

1.4. Our vision is to be the best maritime safety organisation in the world, delivering safer lives, safer ships, and cleaner seas. Our focus is on the themes of safety & sustainability, growth and innovation. Our values are safety, professionalism, trust and respect.

Why our work matters

1.5 We contribute to the wider Department for Transport objectives of boosting economic growth and opportunity, improving journeys delivering safe, secure and sustainable transport, promoting a culture of efficiency, and building a one nation Britain. The MCA fulfils an essential safety role across the United Kingdom’s maritime environment. Examples of our work include:

• Her Majesty’s Coastguard responding to more than 33,000 incidents;

• our Marine Surveyors carrying out more than 2,800 inspections and almost 3,000 surveys on United Kingdom registered ships; and close to 1,500 port state control inspections of foreign registered ships which can lead to around 40 ship detentions;

• setting standards to protect over 11,000 miles of coastline and being ready to respond to pollution incidents;
• encouraging safe behaviours from over 200 million coastal tourist visits;
• promoting and enforcing better safety amongst the 12,000 workers on 5,700 fishing vessels;
• facilitate the implementation of trials and projects, support regulation updates and drive forward change in industry in the uptake of innovative technologies in both Emission Reduction and Autonomy.

1.6 We are responsible for implementation in the United Kingdom of the following major international maritime conventions:

• The International Convention of the High Seas, 1958, article 12;
• Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and Protocol, 1988;
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs), 1972;
• Standards of training, certification and watch-keeping for Seafarers 1978 (STCW);
• The International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979;
• Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), 1973, and Protocol, 1978;
• Load Lines, 1966, and Protocol of 1988;
• Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 and
• International Convention on the control of harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships (AFS) 2001.

1.7 Our core responsibilities are:

• co-ordinating a 24-hour search and rescue service by Her Majesty’s Coastguard and all search and rescue helicopter operations throughout the United Kingdom;
• acting as lead authority and Category 1 responder for maritime emergencies under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004;
• preventing maritime pollution and responding to pollution events
• monitoring vessel movement in United Kingdom waters and further offshore;
• supporting the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP);
• promoting and administering the UK Ship Register;
• promoting and enforcing compliance with maritime rules, regulations and best practice, making sure that legislation is proportionate for business;
• undertaking the survey and inspection of United Kingdom registered ships;
• checking the safety and quality of ships and welfare, certification and training of seafarers operating under the Red Ensign;
• promoting the Red Ensign Group of Ship Registers as high quality, business-friendly flags;
• undertaking audit and providing assurance of the Red Ensign Group in accordance with international requirements and the United Kingdoms obligations;
• certificating independent survey organisations; and
• working with the Department for Transport on policy advice for Ministers.

Delivering for customers and the public

1.8 We remain committed to being commercially responsive and efficient, with greater flexibility and stronger customer-centric relationships. We continue to work with the Department for Transport to achieve the relevant headline recommendations in the Maritime 2050 Strategy around the themes of;

• Infrastructure
• UK competitive advantage
• Environment
• Trade
• Security & resilience
• People
• Technology

1.9 We have focussed our work on the themes of Safety & Sustainability, Growth and Innovation. We have identified seven strategic objectives that we will work towards, which are:

• Becoming the world’s best performing flag state.
• Be a modern, progressive regulatory.
• Grow UK maritime economy and employment.
• Be the world’s best performing coastal state.
• Reduce fatalities at sea.
• Be a world leader in maritime innovation.
• Be the go-to centre of expertise for UK maritime.

1.10 We will work with the Department for Transport to support delivery of the government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy. Through both a robust accessibility inspection regime and collaborative engagement with the passenger shipping industry we will work to promote the best possible experience for passengers, particularly those who are disabled or have reduced mobility. We will continue to carry out and publish the results of an annual survey of disabled and reduced mobility passengers and use the results to inform our inspection and enforcement programme.

1.11 If the United Kingdom is to compete internationally, it must have a strong and effective survey and inspection regime to support safety, security and the protection of the marine environment.

1.12 We will inspect foreign-registered ships visiting United Kingdom ports as part of the regional risk-based Port State Control regime. We will survey and inspect ships registered in the United Kingdom in line with international maritime conventions. We will encourage operators to maintain high quality vessels with consistent safety records and we will inspect ships where concerns have been identified.

1.13 We will monitor compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code by verifications on United Kingdom-registered ships and inspections of targeted foreign ships visiting our ports under Port State Control.

1.14 We will position the United Kingdom as the Innovative flag of choice, supporting the development and implementation of emerging technologies. This will be focussed in two main areas (which are key to delivering ambitions set out in Maritime 2050 and its accompanying route maps):

• Emission Reduction: The MCA will take a prominent role in the international and domestic arenas to enable the Maritime sector to prepare for the innovative transformation required to deliver the Maritime 2050 emission reduction shipping vision set out in the Clean Maritime Plan.
• Autonomous Shipping: in collaboration with others, we will develop a regulatory framework that enables, supports and promotes innovation around the potential for autonomous shipping.

1.15 Seafarers using our certification services can expect applications to be actioned in a timely manner. We will work with shipping companies and nautical colleges to prioritise applications. We will ask our seafarer customers how we are doing and act on what they tell us. We will work with industry to develop a maritime training system that can deliver the next generation of seafarers to meet the nation’s economic and strategic requirements in line with the targets set out in Maritime 2050, and taking account of new and emerging technologies.

1.16 We will work with industry, acting as the regulatory interface, to innovate in the UK at pace supported by a predictable and consistent regulatory approach. Furthermore, we will work towards positioning the UK as a world-leader in emerging technologies by guiding and influencing regulatory change with both domestic and international policy makers.

1.17 At the international level, we will work alongside the Department for Transport and with the input of other government departments to represent the United Kingdom’s interests at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and at other relevant bodies. Domestically, we will work similarly to deliver on the ambitions set out in Maritime 2050 and its accompanying route maps. We will use both formal and informal consultation to develop new international and domestic requirements and proposals, engaging collaboratively with stakeholders on the development of safety, environmental and technical policies and standards, with an increasing focus on fishing safety. We will improve our customer service to seafarers and owners by digitising our services, moving towards an increasingly online solution to elements of the oral exam process and introducing a new international survey model. We will understand our customers and be agile in meeting their needs to be a world leading responsible and ethical flag of choice. Our key priorities for 2021-2022 are:

• further development of mechanisms needed to achieve the limitation or reduction of CO2 emissions from international shipping;
• deliver a new model for the governance, quality and standards for Seafarer Training Providers.
• work collaboratively with stakeholders to identify new approaches for seafarer training to create interim solutions to training around emerging technologies.
• work with partners and stakeholders to influence an improved safety culture in the fishing sector and introduce new training requirements under STCW-F
• meeting our customers’ needs by Expanding and enhancing external stakeholder relationships to maximise growth.

1.18 Her Majesty’s Coastguard’s national search and rescue coordination network, comprised of the National Maritime Operations Centre and other Coastguard Operations Centres, will provide:

• search and rescue coordination;
• vessel traffic monitoring;
• counter pollution response;
• maritime safety information;
• accident and disaster response; and
• support for maritime security.

1.19 The Coastguard will continue to operate the United Kingdom’s Mission Control Centre system, detecting and responding to Emergency Distress beacon alerts in our area of responsibility, and any United Kingdom-registered beacons worldwide.

1.20 We will be out to tender for the ground-breaking second-generation search and rescue aviation Programme called UKSAR2G. This programme will bring together all Coastguard aviation using demand data to inform our requirement, build upon collaboration with other Government departments and continually innovate. We certainly see a role for unmanned aircraft in UKSAR2G and are working with the Civil Aviation Authority to make that possible.

1.21 The Radio Network Infrastructure Replacement Programme is now well underway. We are on track to have the design and build phase concluded by 2023-2024. There is a lot of interest in this Programme outside of the MCA as it will bring high quality fibre connectivity to rural parts of the UK.

1.22 We will further develop our capabilities of support to the government and partner organisations in relation to all maritime security operational issues. We will continue to play a part in the National Maritime Information Centre. We will enhance our contribution to civil contingencies and resilience activity through our wider engagement with Local Resilience Forums and cross government groups.

1.23 We will recover costs from users of our services where appropriate and explore commercial opportunities to generate revenue, so that taxpayers receive value for money.

1.24 We value working relationships with the Devolved Administrations of the United Kingdom and will keep them informed of our work. A memorandum of understanding sets out how we consult with Scottish government ministers about the Agency’s strategic priorities in Scotland.

1.25 We will continue to work closely with port and harbour authorities on the effectiveness of their contingency planning for marine pollution response. We will deliver training in oil spill response to local authorities, and provide a timely and effective response to emergencies within the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

1.26 We will promote safe navigation in ways that include:

• the Civil Hydrography Programme;
• the Marine Weather Service (including the Shipping Forecast) and NAVTEX;
• the UK vessel traffic reporting regime;
• running the UK LRIT Data Centre;
• Port Marine Safety Code health-checks;
• vessel traffic service audits and training accreditation;
• advice to the devolved marine licensing authorities; and
• oversight of the maritime radio spectrum, standards and systems.

1.27 We continue to improve the service offer of the United Kingdom Ship Register to customers, and have implemented the first steps of a programme of improved digital systems. Nevertheless, the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union may continue to be a challenge for our Ship Register, as customers weigh up the benefits of flagging with an EU flag state, rather than the UK.

1.28 We will work closely with Government Lawyers and Ministers to apply modern stability and other standards to older domestic passenger ships. The revision of technical requirements for domestic passenger ships built pre 1992 to provide suitable regulation for such vessels which is comparable with regulation placed on modern vessels. This will provide consistent domestic passenger ship safety standards irrespective of the age of the vessel. Once implemented, this will be a significant change to the industry.

Recovering from COVID 19

1.29 We anticipate that restrictions from the Covid 19 pandemic will begin to lift towards the end of 2021. This will enable us to recommence our full survey and inspection duties, as well as our other customer facing services.

Plans for 2021 to 2022

Digital

MCA measure	2021-2022
Short Course Deliver a modern database solution for the short course records team removing non conformance	31 March 2022
ADIS (Approved Doctors Information System) Provide a single record of approved doctors with technology enabled workflows enabling process efficiency; improved data quality; improved decision making & better customer (seafarer) experience	31 March 2022
Beacons Digitise the Beacons Registry creating a public facing service, thereby simplifying process & enabling people with technology	31 March 2022
Bunkers Deliver a digital version of the Bunkers/ Certificate of Liability (CLC) process and system linked with the UKSR	31 March

Future Technologies

MCA measure	2021-2022
We will provide facilitation on a case-by-case for novel technologies in the fields of emission reduction and autonomy to support UK innovation in maritime	31 March 2022
We will drive towards convergence on sustainable emission technology routes for shipping by developing a robust, unbiased and holistic understanding of all possible solutions and their application to maritime, by	31 March 2022
We will act as technical and strategic partner to DfT in support of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and the wider maritime decarbonisation programme	31 March 2022
We will collaborate with key partners and stakeholders to accelerate the transition to sustainable shipping with non-negotiable safety standards	31 March 2022
We will work towards positioning the UK as a world-leader in emerging technologies by guiding and influencing regulatory change with both domestic and international policy makers	31 March 2022

Our Services

Search and Rescue

MCA measure	2021-2022
The response to all Maritime and Aeronautical incidents in the distress phase will be reviewed by an operational supervisor within 30 minutes of the distress alert being received or a distress phase being declared by HM Coastguard	90% of all cases
We will review 10% of incidents to which the national SAR network has responded to assess our compliance with Mission Conduct protocols and the effectiveness of outcomes. We will also seek feedback from stakeholders and learn any appropriate lessons for future operations in…	10% of incidents
Other than because of the coronavirus pandemic, Coastguard Rescue Service (CRS) teams available for duty, not stood down or otherwise unavailable for tasking	98% of the time

Aviation

MCA measure	2021-2022
Other than because of the coronavirus pandemic, SAR Helicopters will be available to launch from each base location for at least…	98% of the time
Aerial Surveillance – Other than because of the coronavirus pandemic available to reach anywhere within the Exclusive Economic Zone within 120 mins from launch	95% of the time

Pollution Incident Response

MCA measure	2021-2022
Counter Pollution and Salvage Officer engaged in incident response within 10 minutes of activation and, where appropriate, other specialist counter pollution support personnel engage within 30 minutes of incident activation in at least…	95% of cases

Protecting the UK’s underwater heritage

MCA measure	2021-2022
Droits received will be recorded and acknowledged within 48 hours of receipt	95% of cases
We will launch a fully digital online wreck reporting service available to all customers by	31 December 2021

UK Ship Register

MCA measure	2021-2022
Focus UK Ship Register (UKSR) marketing on quality owners and quality vessels so that the average age of 90% of the internationally trading UK flag ships greater than 500 GT (gross tonnage) has an age of…	10 years or less
We will improve our customer satisfaction survey scores	31 March 2022
To demonstrate that the UK operates a quality flag and so reduce the frequency of inspections of UK-registered vessels by other flag states, we will maintain the UK’s position…	in the upper quartile of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding White List

Our Flag & Port State Responsibilities

MCA measure	2021-2022
We will monitor our Customer Satisfaction score and provide the best possible service during these difficult and uncertain times	31 March 2022
Within the parameters of Ministerial and Parliamentary availability as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, implement all MAIB Recommendations with target dates within the reporting period	31 March 2022
Use our best endeavours to meet the spirit of the European Directive requirement for Port State Control, taking account of the realities of the coronavirus pandemic	31 December 2021
Subject to the additional demands following the coronavirus pandemic, we will work with our oral examination candidates to offer the examination at the earliest opportunity	31 March 2022
To support the safety of the travelling public and those working on UK Fishing Vessels, we will undertake domestic passenger ship inspections and fishing vessel inspections	31 March 2022
In collaboration with industry, in particular the Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), and other Government Departments (including the devolved administrations), we will work towards delivering the objective of eliminating all preventable fatalities to fishermen by 2027, and see a reduction in the 3-year rolling average of fatalities	31 March 2022

Meeting our customer needs

MCA measure	2021-2022
We will provide a response to Parliamentary Questions within due date (24 hours) in…	100% of cases
We will provide a response to Freedom of Information requests within 20 working days in…	93% of cases
We will provide a draft response to Member of Parliament correspondence within 3 working days in…	100% of cases
We will provide a response to Official correspondence within 20 working days in…	80% of cases
We will pay invoices within 5 working days in…	80% of cases

Financial responsibilities

Agency Finance

MCA measure	2021-2022
We will deliver within the budgets as published in the Main Estimate and Supplementary Estimate, and deliver any other targets set by the Department for Transport.	Meet set targets

Delivering the plan

Changing our agency

3.1 In 2019-2020 we delivered a reorganisation of the Coastguard organisational structure to assure best use of resources and expertise where and when it makes the most difference. We have undertaken a comprehensive review of our use of technology as an enabler of our future service aspirations and have started working with external partners to understand how we can optimise data and information to enhance our service design and delivery.

3.2 In addition to the responsive services for which the Coastguard is recognised, we are putting greater emphasis on accident prevention. We have published Beach Safety guidance for local authorities and landowners, and will continue working collaboratively with the RNLI in local communities through events and visits to local schools and clubs, educating the public about keeping safe at the coast.

3.3 We will work collaboratively to grow the maritime sector so that it contributes positively to the economy. The Maritime 2050 Strategy sets out ambitions for the future. We will continue to market and promote the benefits of joining the United Kingdom Ship Register.

3.4 We will continue to develop our technology and public facing digital services to support our Survey and Inspection, the United Kingdom Ship Register, and Her Majesty’s Coastguard functions. We will introduce sustainable improvements to both internal and public facing secure digital services.

3.5 We will enhance our use of data for decision making through increased use of analytical tools and technologies.

3.6 The United Kingdom is will be audited by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) against the mandatary IMO Instruments Implementation (III) Code. The United Kingdom was originally scheduled to be audited in September 2020 but the worldwide Covid pandemic has caused the IMO to postpone the audit programme.  IMO is considering whether the audit programme could be restarted using remote auditing techniques to avoid a further delay to the programme.  In readiness for this mandatory audit, preparatory mock audits and follow-up audits and monitoring covering all aspects of the III Code will continue to be undertaken of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories to ensure readiness to be audited and provide IMO with evidence of compliance. In addition, we will develop the necessary IT infrastructure and dedicated data file platform to allow IMO to undertake the audit by remote means if the pandemic continues to prevent direct auditing.  We will implement a programme to tackle any underlying risks to the United Kingdom’s performance at the III audit. In the Overseas Territories, through the support of the Conflict Stability and Security Fund, we will provide technical support to their administrations with legal drafting, search and rescue, safety of navigation and counter pollution to assist their preparations for audit and sustained compliance with the requirements of the III Code.

3.7 Fishing remains the most dangerous industry in the UK. The MCA is committed through the Fishing Industry Safety Group to eliminate preventable deaths by 2027, by addressing the three main causes of fatalities: man overboard; stability; and accidents to persons.

Our services

3.8 We will support wider government and DfT initiatives such as Better Regulation, realising improved efficiencies and encouraging innovation within our area of responsibility. This will allow us to maximise the effectiveness of our services on behalf of our full range of stakeholders.

3.9 We will support Maritime Safety Week as a mechanism for championing safety and highlighting best practice. We will work on key messages with our partners including the RNLI

3.10 As part of our programme of work we will support wider government and DfT initiatives such as the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition that drives forward innovation within the Maritime industry. In addition, we will deliver upon the Maritime Future Technologies team strategic outcomes.

3.11 We will maintain our leadership of the Red Ensign Group including, through high-level discussion with other government departments and international agencies, ensuring that we provide clear direction for all its members and collectively improving the performance and continuing to enhance the high-quality reputation of the United Kingdom Flag state.

3.12 On average, 400 people drown in the UK each year, with a further 200 people committing suicide in our waters. We know the number suicides at the coast has seen a steady increase in the last few years and we are putting in place guidance and support for our Coastguard staff who deal with person’s threatening self-harm in the course of their duties.  We continue to support the National Water Safety Forum strategy to halve accidental drowning fatalities by 2026 by working with water safety partners at a local level to engage with communities. We will share HM Coastguard data and information with beach owners and provide consistent messaging to raise the public’s awareness of risks. We will also work alongside colleagues from DfT and industry to help deliver the Maritime Safety Action Plan. 3.13 The MCA Customer Charter sets out our commitment to customers and our relationship with them.

MCA Sustainability

3.14 In accordance with the Greening Government Commitments (GGC) agenda, we will continue to reduce the Agency’s impact on the environment. We have now agreed Agency specific targets that fully support the overall plan for the Department for Transport. Using modern communications tools, we will continue to reduce our overall travel footprint in line with these agreed targets.

Taking Forward our People and our Culture

3.15 Developing the skills and talents of our staff is central to our success and we provide a minimum annual commitment to five days learning for everyone. Our training includes the professional and technical development of specialist skills, alongside an emphasis on good people management and leadership. We are committed to providing appropriate apprenticeship opportunities including at senior levels.

3.16 We are committed to providing our staff with the technological tools they need to do their jobs and giving them the working environment that makes the MCA a great place to work. Where appropriate we offer flexible working arrangements designed to increase productivity and efficiency.

3.17 The 2020 Employee Engagement index was up by 3% to 68% compared with both 2018 and 2019. This is encouraging at a time of significant change for the Agency and an emphasis on more robust leadership combined with the additional challenges that this year has brought. We saw reported levels of bullying and harassment and reported levels of discrimination continue to fall. We remain committed to build on our successful accreditation to the Investors in People Silver standard to develop the capability of our leaders and managers.

3.18 The Agency is developing plans to build a culture that is more firmly rooted around safety and inclusive behaviours.  This is a long term and evolutionary programme that in time will see fewer work-related accidents, greater confidence to speak up and raise safety concerns, and a more inclusive and welcoming workplace for people from diverse life experiences and backgrounds.  We will monitor progress over a number of years though a basket of people-related measures and indicators.  As a result, we have dropped our bespoke target to increase black and minority ethnic representation.  Instead, we expect that representation to grow over time as a bi-product of the more ambitious challenge of developing a more inclusive Agency culture.

Annex A

Programme

Statement of financial position	Forecast Outturn 2020/21 £ million	Business Plan 2021/22 £ million
Statutory fee income	-6.8	-12.7
Commercial fee income	-2.6	-2.6
Other income	-4.9	-3.0
Total income	-14.3	-18.3
Payroll staff costs	56.4	60.7
Helicopter	161.5	166.7
Navigational safety	6.5	5.4
ICT	16.8	16.9
SMaRT	13.3	14.5
Accommodation	11.8	10.1
Depreciation	57.3	64.3
Other expenditure	54.9	58.8
Total expenditure	378.5	397.4
Net Operating (cost)	364.2	379.1

Annex B

Admin

Statement of financial position	Forecast Outturn 2020/21 £ million	Business Plan 2021/22 £ million
Statutory fee income	0	0
Commercial fee income	0	0.1
Other income	-0.5	-0.5
Total income	-0.5	-0.5
Payroll staff costs	5.8	6.1
Non pay	0.8	1.9
Accommodation	0.5	0.6
Audit fee	0.2	0.2
Total expenditure	7.3	8.8
Net Operating (cost)	6.8	8.3

Annex C

Statement of financial position	Forecast Outturn 2020/21 £ million	Business Plan 2021/22 £ million
Resource DEL	371	387.4
Resource AME	1	1
Total resource and AME	372	388.4
Capital	26	61.1
Total Capital	26	61.1
Statement of financial position
Non current assets
Property, plant and equipment	316.2	312.1
Intangible assets	18.9	22.8
Trade and other receivables due after one year	4.9	4.9
Total non-current assets	340	339.8

Annex D

Statement of financial position	Forecast Outturn 2020/21 £ million	Business Plan 2021/22 £ million
Current assets
Trade and other receivables	13.2	14.2
Cash and cash equivalents	0.1	0.4
Total current assets	*13.3	*14.6
Total assets	353.3	354.4
Current liabilities	-63.4	-120.6
Total assets (less current liabilities)	289.9	233.8
Non-current liabilities	-225.7	-173.2
Assets(less liabilities)	64.2	60.6
Tax payers’ equity
Public dividend capital
Loans from the Secretary of State
Government grants reserve
General fund	46.4	41.1
Revaluation reserve	17.8	19.5
Total taxpayers’ equity	64.2	60.6