§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the impact of the proposed European Directive Access to Ports Services on ports; and if he will make a statement. [154707]
§ Mr. HillThe European Commission published proposals for a Directive on access to port services on 14 February as part of its Communication on Sea Ports. We have received representations on this from the Transport and General Workers Union, Hutchison Ports, the UK Major Ports Group and the British Ports Association. There are a number of important issues to be addressed in developing the Government's position on the proposals. We are submitting an Explanatory Memorandum to Parliament, and we will be consulting widely in order to assess the potential impact.