HC Deb 15 January 1998 vol 304 c255W
Sir Richard Body

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which United Kingdom ports on the East Coast have been excluded from the list for the Trans-European Transport Network proposed by the EU Commission; and if he will obtain from the Commission its reasons for excluding any of the United Kingdom ports on the East Coast. [22733]

Ms Glenda Jackson

I understand that the EU Commission's proposal includes all ports with a total annual freight turnover of 1 million tonnes or 200,000 international passengers or which provide connections between land links of the Trans-European Network (TEN).

The following English east coast ports are included under the new criteria:

  • Folkestone
  • Dover
  • Ramsgate
  • Medway
  • London
  • Harwich
  • Ipswich
  • Felixstowe
  • Great Yarmouth
  • King's Lynn
  • Boston
  • Grimsby/Immingham
  • Goole
  • Hull
  • Tees and Hartlepool
  • Sunderland
  • Tyne.

My officials will be discussing the proposal further with the Commission. If the hon. Member has any particular concerns, we would be pleased to know of them.