§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he intends to take concerning privatisation of the larger trust ports. [289617]
§ Dr. MawhinneyPorts privatised under the Ports Act 1991 are showing already the increased efficiency which comes from full commercial management and competition on an equal footing with other ports. Both ports and port users benefit from such increased efficiency. All trust ports can, at any time, use the Ports Act 1991 to take action to privatise themselves. Five—Forth, Clyde, Tees and Hartlepool, Medway and Tilbury—have done so already. Dundee is now in the process of privatisation. I welcome this, and hope more will follow.
Under the Act, following consultation, I am able to direct a trust port with an annual turnover of more than £5.4 million in two of its last three accounting years to form a successor company and to prepare a scheme for transferring the undertaking to that company, with a view to the sale of the company to the commercial sector.
I am considering giving a direction to the Dover Harbour Board, the Port of Tyne Authority and the Ipswich Port Authority directing each to form a company and to prepare a scheme for transferring the authority's undertaking to it. I have accordingly written separately today to the chairmen of those authorities to consult them on my proposal.
5WI have no plans at present to consult the other ports with annual turnover above the threshold.