Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to modernise port infrastructure.

The UK’s ports sector is largely privately owned and operated, with the government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports efficient operation and investment, and to provide targeted support for connectivity and decarbonisation where there are clear public benefits. My Department is working at pace to update and streamline planning and regulatory processes for ports, including by updating the National Policy Statement for Ports. In addition, the Government is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports.