Mr. Anthony D. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what(a) number and (b) percentages of UK ports are owned by (i) Associated British Ports and (ii) Hutchinson Whampoa Europe Ltd.; and what percentage of the UK port trade each of those companies carried out in each year from 1995. [150264]
§ Mr. HillThere are more than 650 ports in the UK, of which about one fifth are commercially active. Associated British Ports (ABP) currently owns 23 ports and Hutchinson Whampoa (Hutchinson Ports (UK) Ltd.) owns three ports.
158WIt is estimated that ABP ports accounted for about 21 per cent. of all UK port tonnage in 1999 and Hutchinson Whampoa about 7 per cent. It is not possible to provide accurate figures for earlier years.