National Policy Statement for Ports

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Moynihan (Con)]

My Lords, I absolutely do have an open mind to that. We must not only be open-minded towards the challenges that are faced by battery technology and reducing the weight of batteries, for example, but look at all forms of clean energy that can benefit our international maritime trade. The point that my noble friend has made is absolutely accurate in that sense.

In my comments today, I wished to concentrate very much on the current direction of travel that is occurring in the industry because it is vital when it comes to designing a policy for ports and making sure that we are ready to take on the challenges that we already see embedded in European Union legislation. That is important for ports in Wales and on the west coast of the United Kingdom, for example, when it comes to ferries going to Ireland.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Watkins of Tavistock) (CB)]

My Lords, let me just clarify that there should be only points of clarification in Grand Committee, not the reopening of an issue.