Written evidence from the Chamber of Shipping
(TE 100)
The Chamber of Shipping is the trade association
for the UK shipping industry, working to promote and protect the
interests of its members both nationally and internationally.
With 139 members and associate members, the Chamber represents
over 930 ships of 25 million gross tons.
95% of UK's international trade by volume moves by
sea, and 40 million people used passenger ferry services in the
UK in 2009. The UK-based shipping industry makes a contribution
of £10 billion to GDP, and forms the major part of a
wider maritime services cluster that contributes £25 billion
to GDP and supports 500,000 jobs.
In a general sense, the Chamber of Shipping wishes
to record that our main interest in Government spending - in readiness
for the announcement of the Comprehensive Spending Review in October
- lies in the retention of the current, successful climate for
shipping in this country, which has seen the registered fleet
grow to six time its size ten years ago and the numbers of new
officer recruits double (before slipping back temporarily as a
result of the economic crisis). Specifically, the foundation
stones of that remarkable growth are the UK's Tonnage Tax regime,
and the SMaRT funding scheme for the training of new seafarers.
Their maintenance is essential to this continued growth, to the
future of the wider UK maritime cluster and to the skills base
it relies upon.
On the specific questions in the Transport Select
Committee's inquiry and its focus on the issues discussed in the
Eddington Transport Study, the Chamber's interest lies in the
more general objective of ensuring that shipping companies are
able optimally to transport freight to and from the UK through
this period of economic uncertainty and therefore that the Government
will continue to assure high-quality infrastructure both in UK
ports and their hinterland.
As customers of ports, shipping companies believe
that efficient, modern port infrastructure is vital. This
must include both (1) the necessary investment in road and rail
links to ports, to ensure traded goods can reach and be dispatched
from ports seamlessly and without congestion, and (2) a timely
and efficient planning regime to allow ports to adapt to the demands
of trade and society.
We are aware of the submissions presented by the
British Ports Association and the UK Major Ports Group and are
happy to support the points they make.
September 2010
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