HC Deb 23 January 2003 vol 398 c509W
Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of likely container port capacity at existing container ports over the next (a) five years, (b) 10 years, and (c) 15 years. [91697]

Mr. Jamieson

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Southampton Test (Dr. Whitehead) on 3 December 2002,Official Report, columns 661–62W. The paper, "Recent Developments at UK Container Ports", mentioned in that answer, explains why the Department has not made national forecasts on container capacity. Likely capacity depends partly on future decisions on planning applications for port developments.