Therese Coffey

It seems apt that the subject of Therese Coffey's Private Members Bill is shipwrecks.

The Suffolk Coastal MP is delighted to be steering her Bill through Parliament.

She says: "This Bill is common sense really but I know it has taken years to negotiate with other nations. Tomorrow, the Bill receives its Third Reading and moves to the Lords. This is something I can genuinely claim that my predecessor John Gummer never achieved, as in all his years of trying, he was never drawn in the Ballot."

The Bill on Wreck Removal Convention aims to transfer liability from the taxpayer to ship owners for the removal of shipwrecks. For larger vessels, insurance will be compulsory.

Therese Coffey added, "I chose this particular Bill because of the importance of clear shipping lanes in Suffolk Coastal.

"Imagine if a cargo boat was wrecked just outside Felixstowe. It would be devastating for the port. This legislation puts the onus on the ship owner to remove the wreck and if they do not or are slow, it gives powers to the UK government to remove the wreck and charge the ship owner for it".

So in her first year as an MP, she has all but implemented a new piece of legislation.