Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions officials in her Department have had with the (a) States of Jersey, (b) States of Guernsey, (c) ferry operators and (d) trade unions on the long term provision of ferry services from (i) Poole and (ii) Portsmouth to the Channel Islands.

Maritime officials within the Department have had no discussions on the long-term provision of ferry services from (i) Poole and (ii) Portsmouth to the Channel Islands.

Ferry services are predominantly run on a commercial basis without UK government intervention. However, where services are pertinent to local and regional objectives, relevant bodies can become involved in the specification of service provision. In this case, we understand that the governments of the States of Guernsey and Jersey have undertaken a procurement process to meet the Islands’ ferry service needs. This is a matter for those States, and therefore this Department has not had discussions with Islands, ferry providers, or unions, in this instance.