IN BRIEF

Training budget

The UK government has pledged £12m a year to support maritime training after a new report said there was a good value for money case for the retention of government funding. The government said that, in view of the forecast national shortage of trained seafarers and the need to develop the next generation of UK officers and ratings, the majority of the budget will support initial training for cadets studying at junior officer level with the remainder supporting ratings training and ratings to officer conversion training.