Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Lower Thames Crossing will enhance connectivity to the (1) Channel Tunnel, (2) Port of Dover, (3) Port of Felixstowe, (4) Port of Tilbury, and (5) DP World Gateway; and if so, how.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Lower Thames Crossing creates a new link between the A2 and the M25, reducing the burden on the busy Dartford Crossing. This improves many journeys terminating in or passing through the South East and East of England, thereby enhancing connectivity to the (1) Channel Tunnel, (2) Port of Dover, (3) Port of Felixstowe, (4) Port of Tilbury and (5) DP World Gateway.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which of the UK’s ports (a) he and (b) other Ministers in of his Department have visited since July 2016.
Answered by Suella Braverman
Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit - with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and in all parts of the UK, including representatives from UK ports.
Details of DExEU Ministerial visits to UK ports since July 2016 are as follows:
October 2016, Lord Bridges, Port of Tilbury
November 2016, Lord Bridges, Port of Felixstowe
December 2016, David Jones, Port of Southampton
December 2016, David Jones, Port of Liverpool
July 2017, Robin Walker, Poole Harbour
September 2017, Robin Walker, Belfast Harbour
January 2018, David Davis and Suella Braverman, Teesport
March 2018, Suella Braverman, Port of Southampton
May 2018, Suella Braverman, Port of Dover
Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK. The next set of Transparency Returns will be released in June.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans are in place to ensure the timely delivery of the Felixstowe-to-Nuneaton freight rail link.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
During Control Period 5 (2014-2019) Government is investing £235m in the Strategic Freight Network (SFN), a ring fenced fund specifically to support investment in rail freight to improve the capacity and capability of the network. This includes the installation of a second track between Felixstowe and Grimston Lane foot crossing on the Felixstowe branch line, which will allow up to 47 trains to serve the port daily in each direction, 14 more than at present.
In April 2017, Network Rail published its Freight Network Study, presenting options to funders for enhancing the rail freight network. The study identified the Felixstowe to West Midlands corridor as a key priority for future investment. The Statement of Funds Available for Control Period 6 (2019-2024) includes funding for continued investment in improvements to the rail freight network, and my Department will consider Network Rail’s advice when planning future enhancements.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the proposed programme of Jobcentre Plus closures on the rollout of the full digital service of universal credit.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The people and locations announcements have had little effect on the rollout schedule of the Universal Credit Full Service. The revised schedule is below
October 2017
Cambuslang | Stamford | Stroud | Southall | Eastbourne | Sudbury |
East Kilbride | Peterlee | Abingdon | Braintree | Poole | Cumnock |
Hamilton | Seaham | Didcot | Witham | Blandford | Kilmarnock |
Lanark | Scunthorpe | Oxford | Grays | Bury St Edmunds | Gateshead |
Rutherglen | Barton | Hove | Wrexham | Haverhill | Mexborough |
Plymouth | Bedworth | Bootle | Neath | Beccles | Thorne |
Didsbury | Nuneaton | Crosby | Port Talbot | Grantham | Doncaster |
Alexandra Park | Redditch | Southport | Rusholme | North Kensington |
|
November 2017
St Albans | Yardley | Blaydon | Irvine | Brighton | Witney |
Waltham Cross | Basildon | Forfar | Kilbirnie | Birkenhead | Dundee |
Enfield | Brentwood | Spen Valley | Saltcoats | Bromborough | Cirencester |
Wallasey | Bournemouth | Dewsbury | Chesterfield |
| Sutton Coldfield |
Birmingham South West | Manchester Town Hall (outreach) | Huddersfield | Lichfield | Upton | Washwood Heath |
Birmingham Broad Street | Devonport | Arbroath | Tamworth | Newton Heath | Walthamstow |
Birmingham City | Banbury | Montrose | Newport, Wales | Openshaw | Peterborough |
December 2017
Dunfermline | Bridport | Streatham | Neston | Handsworth | Stanley |
Kirkcaldy | Tewkesbury | Hatfield | Northwich | Kings Heath | Bishop Auckland |
Leven | Newbury | Watford | Erdington | Perry Barr | Grimsby |
St Andrews | Reading | Sheerness | Skelmersdale | Selly Oak | Immingham |
Glenrothes | Bude | Sittingbourne | Ormskirk | Sparkhill | Swansea |
Cowdenbeath | Liskeard | Ellesmere Port | Bilston | Retford | Morriston |
Cupar | Launceston | Stockwell | Wolverhampton Chapel Court | Worksop | Gorseinon |
Cheltenham | Weymouth | Mitcham | Wolverhampton Molineaux House | Crook | Consett |
February 2018
Newark | Accrington | Bracknell | South Shields | Jarrow | Rhyl |
Bathgate | Blackburn | Slough | St. Marylebone | Gloucester | Gravesend |
Livingston | Palmers Green | Maidenhead | Acton | Bridgend | Middleton |
Ayr | Huyton | Scarborough | Redbridge | Maesteg | Truro |
Girvan | Kirkby | Whitby | Hendon | Porthcawl | Wallsend |
Dumfries | Basingstoke | Selby | Shrewsbury | Oswestry | Cardiff Alex House |
Stranraer | Bodmin | Killingworth | Folkestone | Colwyn Bay | Cardiff Charles Street |
Annan | Newquay | Market Drayton | Chatham | Llandudno | Heywood |
Rochdale | St Austell | North Shields | Whitchurch | Bridgnorth | Stowmarket |
Diss | Rushden | Coalville | Barking | Ealing | Barnet |
March 2018
Stockport | Alfreton | Hawick | Chester le Street | Kingston | Durham |
Preston | Belper | Galashiels | Newton Ayclife | Twickenham | Ashford |
Leyland | Heanor | Helston | Spennymoor | Abergavenny | Eyemouth |
Congleton | Hanley | Penryn | Shipley | Caldicott | Lincoln |
Nantwich Library | Longton | Penzance | Keighley | Chepstow | Wandsworth |
Macclesfield | Hereford | Redruth | Bradford Westfield House | Merthyr Tydfil | Darlington |
Falkirk | Leominster | Haywards Heath | Bradford Eastbrook Court | Holyhead | Grangemouth |
Dereham | Ross on Wye | Crawley | Leicester Wellington Street | Llangefni | Skegness |
Thetford | Banff | Horsham | Finsbury Park | Amlwch | Llanelli |
Leicester Charles St | Fraserburgh | Bristol Central | Barnsbury | Ammanford | Romford |
Leicester New Walk | Peterhead | Bishopsworth | Bedminster | Carmarthen | Ashton under Lyne |
Hyde |
|
|
|
|
|
April 2018
Airdrie | Littlehampton | Beverley | Bridlington | Worthing | Loughborough |
Bellshill | Bognor | Hessle | Wigan | Porthmadog | Coventry Cofa Court |
Cumbernauld | Chichester | Rotherham | Leigh | Pwllheli |
|
Motherwell | Barnstaple | Maltby | Forest Hill | Abertillery | Derby Forester House |
Buckie | Bideford | Dinnington | Aston in Makerfield | Ebbw Vale | Derby Normanton Road |
Elgin | Honiton | Colchester | Barrow |
| Clay Cross |
Forres | Tiverton | Harwich | Chorley | Brownhills | Staveley |
Blairgowrie | Thornaby | Harrow | St Helens | Walsall Bayard House | Spalding |
Perth | Billingham | Canterbury |
| Walsall Bridle Court | Ipswich |
Winchester | Stockton |
| Bangor | Willenhall | Ipswich “My Go hub” |
Andover | Goole | Dolgellau | Caernarfon |
|
|
May 2018
Hythe | Stratford | Boston | Bromsgrove | Dunoon | High Wycombe |
Wythenshaw | Easton | Newport, IoW | Malvern | Helensburgh | Canning Town |
Prestwich | Bromley | Brixham | Atherstone | Oban | Houghton le Spring |
Bury | Dartford | Horefield | Matlock | Rothesay | Shirehampton |
Penrith | Caerphilly | Washington | Buxton | Paisley | Pembroke Dock |
Carlisle | Bargoed | Southwick | Glossop | Johnstone | Cheetham Hill |
Clacton | Blackwood | Sunderland | Mansfield | Renfrew | Middlesbrough |
Canvey | Aberystwyth | Wisbech | Kirkwall | Newton Abbot | Milford Haven |
Rayleigh | Cardigan | Ely | Lerwick | Torquay | Gainsborough |
Middlesbrough East | Haverfordwest | Louth | Stornoway | Totnes | Campbeltown |
June 2018
Garston | Chesham | Barrhead | Hertford |
Belle Vale | Lewes | Alexandria | Woolwich |
Eccles | Newhaven | Clydebank | Seacroft |
Irlam | Ringwood | Dumbarton | Leeds Park Place |
Worsley | Lymington | Aberdeen | Huntingdon |
Salford | Portsmouth |
| Cromer |
Kendal | Wester Hailes | Hackney | Norwich |
Cosham | Leith | Hoxton | Felixstowe |
Exeter | High Riggs | Letchworth | Leiston |
Alyesbury | Edinburgh City | Stevenage | Woodbridge |
Cambridge | Kettering | Worcester | Nottingham Loxley House |
Barry | Leamington Spa | Newtown | Welshpool |
Bulwell | Leeds Southern House | Brecon | Llandrindod Wells |
Guiseley | Penarth | Ystradgynlais | Nottingham Central |
Morley | Pudsey | Machynelleth |
|
July 2018
Kingswood | Guildford | Wood Green | Wavertree |
Yate | Woking | Tottenham | Williamson Square |
Ryde | Cramlington | Luton | Bolton Great Moor Street |
Aldershot | Ashington | Dunstable | Bolton Blackhorse Street |
Alton | Morpeth | Hayes | Kings Lynn |
Bordon | Berwick | Uxbridge | Aberdare |
Farnborough | Sheffield Bailey | Bexleyheath | Llantrisant |
Redhill | Sheffield Cavendish Court | Edge Hill | Northampton |
Epsom | Chapeltown | Toxteth | Pontypridd |
Porth | Beeston | Kidderminster | Oldbury |
Tonypandy | Arnold | Madeley | Smethwick |
Treorchy | Sleaford | Telford | Tipton |
Wellington | Evesham | West |
|
August 2018
Nelson | Hemsworth | Swadlincote | Harlesden |
Wakefield | Wellingborough | Cannock | Weybridge |
Clitheroe | Sutton-in-Ashfield | Stafford | Staines |
Rawtenstall | Bolsover | Fareham | Camberley |
Tonbridge | Shirebrook | Gosport | Loftus |
Biggleswade | Burton | Havant | Guisborough |
Redcar | Pontefract | Leighton Buzzard | Maidstone |
Eston | Castleford |
|
|
September 2018
Patrick | Chelmsford | West Derby | Alnwick |
St Annes | Loughton | Everton | Sheffield Easter Ave |
Castlemilk | Hemel Hempstead | Norris Green | Sheffield Hillsborough |
Drumchapel | Borehamwood | Mildenhall | Sheffield Woodhouse |
Fleetwood | Hull Britannia House | Newmarket | Newlands |
Laurieston | Wembley | Fakenham | Blyth |
Govan | Springburn | North Walsham | Bedlington |
Langside | Milton Keynes | Kidsgrove | Hexham |
Newcastle Under Lyme | Shettleston | Kentish Town |
|
Asked by: Baroness Blood (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the most recent meetings they have had with the Association of Port Health Authorities.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) can confirm since June 2016, FSA officials have met for discussions with Port Health Authority officials from the following ports:
- Belfast
- Felixstowe
- Southampton
- Gatwick
- Doncaster
- Heathrow
An official from the FSA will provide a presentation on imports and exports policy at the Association of Port Health Authorities (APHA) annual general meeting on Wednesday 30th November 2016. At the meeting, APHA members will be encouraged to provide their thoughts and views on the future work of Port Health Authorities in the United Kingdom.
A number of large UK ports are no longer members of APHA. These ports have formed another group which hold regular (quarterly) ‘Major Ports Forum’ meetings. The FSA, The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and The Animal and Plant Health Agency actively participate in all of these meetings.
The Government will continue to collaborate with Port Health Authorities going forward to ensure impacts on Port Health Authorities are fully considered in any policy making decisions.
Asked by: Philip Davies (Conservative - Shipley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value was of exports to non-EU destinations from (a) the Port of Felixstowe, (b) the Port of Southampton, (c) Gatwick Airport and (d) Heathrow Airport in 2015.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The value of the exports to non –EU destinations from the requested ports are provided in the table below [source: HMRC ports data].
Exports of goods to the non-EU by port | Value (£) |
Felixstowe | 10,291,216,996 |
Southampton | 23,740,381,743 |
London Gatwick | 307,063,268 |
London Heathrow | 67,303,983,493 |
[2015 calendar year] | |
To note, data collection will be affected by the definitions used at the time of data collection. Please see the attached annex for more detail.
Asked by: Jo Churchill (Conservative - Bury St Edmunds)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department spent on transport infrastructure projects in (a) Bury St Edmunds constituency and (b) Suffolk in each year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Details on spend for transport infrastructure projects are not available at constituency level nor is there an annual breakdown at county level. However, Suffolk has benefitted from significant Government investment in transport projects over the period 2010-11 to 2015-16.
The Ipswich Chord is a £59m rail link connecting the Port of Felixstowe to the Great Eastern Main Line. The project was completed in 2014. A further £24m has been invested in improvements at Ipswich freight yard, which were completed in 2015. This forms part of a wider portfolio of improvements to rail freight services between the Port of Felixstowe and the West Coast Main Line which will help reduce congestion on the A14.
The A11 widening scheme is a £105m improvement to the A11 between Thetford and Fiveways roundabout, which opened in December 2014. Suffolk CC received a £18.3m Government contribution towards their £21.6m Travel Ipswich scheme in September 2015, an integrated package of sustainable transport measures. In 2011 Suffolk CC also received £5m of Local Sustainable Transport Funding (LSTF) for the Lowestoft Local Links project that will deliver a range of sustainable transport benefits in the town, including cycling & walking and in 2013/14 Suffolk CC was awarded £1.5m via the Cycle Safety Fund.
As part of the July 2014 Local Growth Fund allocation, the New Anglia LEP secured Government funding of £5.7m for the Bury St. Edmunds Eastern Relief Road and £2m for the Beccles Southern Relief Road in Suffolk. In addition, Government provided £4.6m towards the £6.6m Lowestoft Northern Spine Road, completed in March 2015.
Looking to the future, this Government continues to invest in transport infrastructure in Suffolk - at Budget 2016, a £73.4m Government contribution was announced towards the Lowestoft Third Crossing plus £77.5m for the Ipswich Wet Dock Crossing.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2016 to Question 41126, on shipping: energy, what penalties were given to each of the 24 vessels identified with deficiencies relating to energy efficiency; and how many Port State Control inspections have been carried out at each port since that requirement became mandatory.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Deficiencies identified during an inspection are recorded on the port-State Control record of the respective vessel and are required to be rectified. No additional penalties were applied to any of the 24 vessels that were identified since 1 January 2013 as having a deficiency relating to energy efficiency.
The attached table shows the number of port-State Control inspections by port by year since 2013.
PQ 168040 Table :Number of PSC inspections | ||||
Port | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 (upto 30 June) |
Aberdeen | 89 | 86 | 80 | 42 |
Ardrishaig | 2 |
| 1 |
|
Avonmouth | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
Ayr | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Baltic Wharf | 1 | 1 |
|
|
Barking | 4 | 1 | 2 |
|
Barrow Haven | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Barrow in Furness | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Barry Dock | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Belfast | 57 | 69 | 55 | 27 |
Berwick upon Tweed | 2 |
| 1 |
|
Birkenhead | 17 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
Blyth | 10 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
Boston | 5 | 1 | 1 |
|
Braefoot |
|
|
| 2 |
Bromborough dock | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Buckie |
| 2 |
|
|
Cairnryan |
| 4 | 2 |
|
Campbeltown | 2 | 1 |
|
|
Canvey Island | 3 | 1 | 1 |
|
Cardiff | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Chatham | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Corpach | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
Coryton | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
Cowes | 1 |
|
| 1 |
Denton |
| 1 |
|
|
Dover | 17 | 6 | 18 | 5 |
Dundee | 7 | 5 | 1 |
|
Dunoon | 1 |
|
|
|
Eastham | 3 | 3 | 1 |
|
Ellesmere Port | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Erith | 5 |
| 1 |
|
Falmouth | 30 | 26 | 6 | 8 |
Fawley | 23 | 27 | 9 | 5 |
Felixstowe | 41 | 51 | 27 | 29 |
Finnart | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Flixborough | 8 | 5 | 5 |
|
Fowey | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Fraserburgh | 1 |
|
|
|
Garston |
| 1 |
| 1 |
Glasgow | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Glasson Dock |
| 1 | 1 |
|
Glensanda |
| 1 |
| 1 |
Goole | 27 | 18 | 11 | 6 |
Grangemouth | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
Grays | 7 | 3 | 1 |
|
Great Yarmouth | 21 | 22 | 14 | 13 |
Greenock | 9 | 14 | 15 | 3 |
Grimsby | 12 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
Grove Wharfs (Scunthorpe) | 18 | 14 | 4 | 8 |
Grovehurst Jetty | 1 | 1 |
|
|
Gunness Wharf (Scunthorpe) | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
Hamble |
|
|
| 4 |
Hartlepool | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Harwich | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
Heysham | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Holyhead | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
Hound Point | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Howdendyke | 4 | 4 | 2 |
|
Hull | 64 | 38 | 32 | 19 |
Hunterston | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
Immingham | 120 | 105 | 83 | 47 |
Invergordon | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Inverkeithing | 1 |
|
|
|
Ipswich | 12 | 11 | 10 | 4 |
Isle of Grain | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 |
Keadby | 1 | 4 |
| 1 |
Killingholme |
| 1 | 2 | 2 |
Kilroot |
| 1 | 1 |
|
King's Lynn | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Kinlochbervie |
|
| 1 |
|
Kirkwall | 2 | 1 | 1 |
|
Kyle of Lochalsh | 2 | 1 |
|
|
Larne |
|
| 4 |
|
Leith | 4 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
Lerwick | 21 | 19 | 16 | 5 |
Liverpool | 83 | 89 | 50 | 44 |
Londonderry | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Lowestoft | 14 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Mallaig | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Manchester |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
Marchwood | 1 |
|
|
|
Milford Haven | 26 | 35 | 10 | 3 |
Mistley | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Montrose | 13 | 14 | 4 |
|
Mostyn | 3 | 3 | 1 |
|
Neap House (Scunthorpe) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
New Holland | 9 | 7 | 3 |
|
Newcastle upon Tyne | 1 |
| 4 |
|
Newhaven | 1 |
|
|
|
Newhaven |
| 1 | 3 | 4 |
Newlyn | 1 |
|
|
|
Newport (Gwent) | 16 | 19 | 13 | 6 |
North Shields | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Northfleet | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Oban | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Orpington (London) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Parkeston Quay | 3 | 1 |
| 1 |
Penzance | 1 |
|
|
|
Perth |
| 1 |
|
|
Peterhead | 13 | 26 | 27 | 6 |
Plymouth | 9 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
Poole | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
Port Talbot | 23 | 25 | 20 | 7 |
Portland | 7 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
Portsmouth | 11 | 10 | 16 | 19 |
Purfleet | 11 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
Redcar |
|
| 1 |
|
Ridham Dock | 4 | 1 | 2 |
|
Rochester | 1 | 1 |
|
|
Rosyth | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Royal Portbury | 35 | 29 | 16 | 12 |
Runcorn | 9 | 1 |
| 4 |
Rye | 1 |
| 1 |
|
Scalloway | 1 | 3 | 7 |
|
Scarborough |
|
|
| 1 |
Scrabster | 1 |
|
|
|
Seaham | 1 | 3 |
| 1 |
Sharpness | 1 | 5 | 2 |
|
Sheerness | 10 | 10 | 4 | 3 |
Shellhaven | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
Shoreham By Sea | 5 | 3 | 2 |
|
Silloth | 1 | 1 |
|
|
Silvertown | 9 | 17 | 11 | 4 |
South Shields | 11 | 15 | 12 | 6 |
Southampton | 57 | 87 | 46 | 23 |
Southwold | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Stanlow | 1 | 2 |
| 1 |
Stornoway | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Sullom Voe |
| 2 | 2 | 3 |
Sunderland | 12 | 6 | 10 | 8 |
Sutton Bridge | 1 | 2 | 1 |
|
Swansea | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Teesport | 83 | 70 | 47 | 24 |
Teesside |
| 1 | 1 |
|
Teignmouth | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
Thames Haven |
|
|
| 1 |
Thamesport | 2 | 3 | 5 |
|
Tilbury | 61 | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Tranmere | 7 | 9 | 4 | 7 |
Troon |
| 1 | 2 |
|
Tyne | 18 | 25 | 25 | 10 |
Warrenpoint | 10 | 10 | 12 | 1 |
Wisbech |
|
| 1 |
|
Workington |
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
TOTALS | 1398 | 1291 | 934 | 534 |
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of freight containers that will be moved from (a) Felixstowe and (b) Tilbury port by (i) rail and (ii) road in the next two years.
Answered by John Hayes
The department does not hold estimates of future freight container activity for individual ports, nor estimates of the mode used for onward journeys.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of anticipated levels of rail freight activity at (a) Felixstowe and (b) Tilbury port in the next year will have on (i) rail and (ii) dock workers at those ports.
Answered by Claire Perry
This is a commercial matter for the logistics sector. I expect that workers at these private sector ports and in the private rail freight operating companies will deal with rail freight activity as in the normal course of business. I do not intend to undertake any special assessment.