P&O Ferries hopes Pride of Hull will sail again 'by the end of the week'

• ITV Calendar's political correspondent Harry Horton reports on the latest in the P&O Ferries saga.

P&O Ferries hopes to have the Pride of Hull sailing again by the end of the week, I’m told.

The ship has been in dock since last Thursday, when the company sacked almost 800 staff at short notice.

Safety inspections were carried out on the ship on Tuesday. This involves assessing how the new crew respond to simulations of emergency procedures, fire drills and passenger evacuations.

"Our surveyors are currently carrying out full inspections of P&O Ferries Pride of Hull," a spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

"This is to make sure they comply with international regulations on manning and safe operation, in particular, emergency procedures such as firefighting and evacuating the ship."

In a letter released on Tuesday evening, P&O CEO Peter Hebblethwaite answered questions set to him by the government.

Responding to Secretary of State Kwasi Kwarteng MP and Paul Scully MP, Hebblethwaite said changes to crew were made as a last resort in order for the business to survive.

A model that he described as unsustainable, he claimed there were no other avenues available and the company was bringing P&O into line with other international shipping operators.

On Tuesday P&O Ferries also revealed details of what it called the "largest compensation package in the British marine sector", worth more than £36 million. It said at least 40 staff received payouts worth more than £100,000.

Hebblethwaite said that so far 575 seafarers had "taken steps to accept the severance terms offered".

On the now famed sacking, he wrote: "All affected crew who were working that day were notified face-to-face and in-person on board their vessels."

In the letter it was claimed 131 off-roster staff were not on live video calls as sackings took place. Staff were contacted by phone, email and text.

No consultations were carried out in advance of firing 83 P&O North Sea staff. The letter continues that consultation was decided against because "reaching agreement on the way forward would be impossible...and highly disruptive, not just for the business but for UK trade and tourism".

I spoke to Labour's Hull East MP Karl Turner before the letter was released.

He said: "They're offering two-and-a-half weeks pay for every year that they've worked...it's a generous offer, but it doesn't take away the fact that they've treated them with utter contempt.

"What the government need to be saying back is, look, reinstate every single one of these 800 British seafarers...that's what I want the government to say, no ifs, no buts. Give them those jobs back."

Ministers were "reviewing" P&O’s explanations for the sackings. But the Business, Energy and Industry department warned of further action: "We will continue to work at speed with the Insolvency Service to consider if legal action is required and will provide an update as soon as possible. 

"Given recent reports of staff being paid below the National Minimum Wage, the Business Secretary has also asked the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate to investigate the terms of agency workers' contracts."

P&O says reports agency staff are paid less than £2 per hour are "inaccurate" but have given no details on agency workers pay.

As the relevant vessels are registered outside the UK, such as the Pride of Hull in the Bahamas, they feel they have not committed any offence in regard to notifying the secretary of state. Notification was made to the relevant authorities on 17 March 2022.