DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (086) issued by The Government News Network
on 19 July 2007
Shipping Minister
Jim Fitzpatrick today committed the Government to maintaining its
'light touch' approach to the regulation of ports in
England and Wales and announced a strengthening of the
Government's ports policy framework.
He also announced the publication of an Interim Report setting
out the findings so far of the Government's Ports Policy
Review (PPR).
The Interim Report sets out specific actions on issues such as
demand forecasting, the future of trust ports, Master Plans and
the safeguarding of land for port operations where that is
appropriate. In addition, it looks forward to further improvements
through the future establishment of the Marine Management
Organization and Infrastructure Planning Commission, which the
Government has announced in two recent White Papers.
Although the Ports Policy Review will not be completed until
later this year, Mr Fitzpatrick explained that the Government is
already in a position to spell out a number of measures to promote
greater transparency, stronger environmental performance and more
co-operation in strategic planning. He said:
"Central to our approach is our view that commercial port
operators are best-placed to make decisions about where and when
to invest. We do not propose any substantial change in the
operating and regulatory framework for ports. But, recognising
the vital importance of ports large and small to national,
regional and local economies, it is the Government's
responsibility to create the conditions in which investment is
encouraged and sustainability is ensured."
Explaining why the Review has not yet been completed, Mr
Fitzpatrick said:
"Before we can finalise our policy on inland access to ports
and on ports planning we need to take full account of several
important current programmes. These include the Government's
response to the Eddington Study and the proposed Planning Reform Bill."
Notes for Editors
1. The Ports Policy Review was launched in May 2006, following a
commitment in The Future of Transport White Paper. It began with
an extensive consultation exercise embracing port operators,
environmental groups, shippers and other key stakeholders. The
Review covers England and Wales; ports policy is largely devolved
in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
2. Alongside this Interim Report, the Government has also
submitted its formal response to the House of Commons Transport
Select Committee whose report on the ports industry in England and
Wales was published in January.
3. More than 90% of the UK's visible foreign trade passes
through sea-ports - a total of almost 600M tonnes each year.
4. There are three main ownership categories for civilian ports:
companies, which account for the majority of commercial activity;
municipal ports run directly by local authorities; and trust
ports, independent statutory bodies which account for around 30%
of tonnage throughput.
5. The Interim Report broadly continues the Government's
'light touch' approach to regulation of sea-ports,
recognizing the commercial success of all three ownership sectors
and their vital economic importance. The Government's view
is that commercial port operators are best-placed to make
decisions about where and when to invest in the port sector: there
is not the same need as was identified in the case of airports for
Government to indicate where it would expect to see development
brought forward.
6. Ports have important environmental duties including the
responsible management of estuaries and provision of compensatory
habitat when necessary in the case of new development. In many
cases, they already discharge these duties very well, as NGOs have
attested. But there is still room for improvement, and also for
Government to give clearer guidance in some areas, which it
intends to do in the next stage.
7. DEFRA recently consulted on proposals for the formation of a
new Marine Management Organization (MMO), which will in future
take responsibility for most of the harbour planning applications
currently dealt with by DfT and others. For DEFRA's
consultation, see A Sea Change: a Marine Bill White Paper, http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marinebill-whitepaper07/index.htm.
The
consultation closed in June.
8. Major infrastructure projects (including large port
developments) will, it is proposed, go to the Infrastructure
Planning Commission which, pursuant to recommendations of Kate
Barker and Sir Rod Eddington, is set out in the White Paper
Planning for a Sustainable Future (http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510503)
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Department for Transport
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