Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to modernise UK ports.

Ports in the United Kingdom operate on a commercial basis. They have an excellent track record of investment in new and improved facilities and I see no reason why this should change. The Government fully recognises the vital role ports play in our transport infrastructure through facilitating trade and promoting economic growth and accordingly engages regularly with a wide range of ports as well as their representative bodies.