Merchant Shipping Act 1979

39 Attachment of earnings

(1) At the beginning of paragraph (e) of section 24(2) of the [1971 c. 32.] Attachment of Earnings Act 1971 (under which wages of a seaman are not to be treated as earnings for the purposes of that Act unless he is a seaman of a fishing boat) there shall be inserted the words " except in relation to a maintenance order ".

(2) As respects Scotland, the wages of a seaman of a fishing boat shall cease to be exempt from arrestment and the wages of any other seaman shall cease to be exempt from arrestment under a maintenance order; and in this subsection " maintenance order " means an order of any court or authority enforceable in Scotland for the payment of any periodical or capital sum due or awarded in respect of a marriage or other family relationship.

(3) Accordingly section 11(1)(a) of the [1970 c. 36.] Merchant Shipping Act 1970 (which provides that the wages of a seaman employed in a ship registered in the United Kingdom shall not be subject to attachment or arrestment) shall have effect, as respects England and Wales, subject to the said Act of 1971 as amended by subsection (1) of this sefction and, as respects Scotland, subject to the preceding subsection.