Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Maritime Freight Capacity: Covid-19

Thursday 3 December 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK maritime sector has worked tirelessly to keep freight moving and provide sufficient capacity throughout the pandemic.
  • The loss of P&O's Hull to Zeebrugge route could have implications for jobs and trade in Kingston upon Hull East, including the transport of vaccines from Belgium.
  • The maritime Minister has written to P&O reminding it of its responsibilities regarding the route's long-term viability.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Karl Turner Ind Kingston upon Hull East
Transport
Context

During the pandemic, concerns have been raised about the adequacy of UK maritime freight capacity to maintain essential services and trade.

Question

What assessment has he made of the adequacy of UK maritime freight capacity during the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

First, may I put on record my thanks to all transport workers? They have done an incredible job throughout the pandemic. The UK maritime sector has worked tirelessly to keep freight moving and provide sufficient capacity throughout.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment requested was not provided; instead, a general acknowledgment of effort was given.

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Q2 Karl Turner Ind Kingston upon Hull East
Transport Business & Trade
Context

The loss of the P&O's Hull to Zeebrugge route has raised concerns about job losses, trade disruption, and potential delays in vaccine distribution.

Question

The loss of a critical element of UK freight capacity in P&O's Hull to Zeebrugge route will not only be a devastating blow to jobs and trade in my constituency, but as it is one of the most direct routes between Pfizer's Belgian factory and hard-hit areas in the north of England, that could have a severe impact on the rapid roll-out of the covid vaccine, which I am delighted to see has been approved for use this week. I wrote to the Secretary of State recently on this issue. What action are Ministers taking to ensure that P&O honours its commitments and that this vital route is maintained?

Answer from Rachel Maclean

The hon. Gentleman is a powerful advocate for jobs and his local economy, and rightly so. My hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Robert Courts), the maritime Minister, has recently written to P&O on this matter, reminding it of its responsibilities, but decisions on the long-term viability of any route are a commercial decision. The vaccine strategy is led by the Department of Health and Social Care, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that alternative routes are available for the relatively limited volumes of traffic that will be required to bring in this much needed and life-saving vaccine.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific actions requested were not fully addressed; a general response was given about commercial decisions and alternative routes, without concrete commitments or timelines.

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