Ports and Maritime APPG

On Monday I chaired the latest meeting of the APPG for Ports and Maritime, where we looked at the future of UK ports and some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

We heard from stakeholders across the industry on everything from planning delays and grid capacity to workforce skills, technological change, and the role ports play in supporting growth in coastal communities. There’s a clear need for long-term decision making and certainty to support our ports and shipping industries, and the supply chains that work with them. The APPG will be playing a vital role in identifying some of the barriers still holding ports back.

The meeting comes at an important moment, with the Government currently consulting on the National Policy Statement for Ports. This is a real opportunity to make sure the policy framework reflects the scale of ambition across the sector.