Appendix 2: Correspondence: Provision of illustrative plans with Harbour Revision Orders
Letter from Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, Chair of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, to Mr Tom McCormack, Chief Executive Office at the Marine Management Organisation
The provision of maps with Harbour Revision Orders
I am the Chair of the House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and I am writing to you about the Newport (Isle of Wight) and Fowey Harbour Revision Orders, recently considered by the Committee, which provide for illustrative maps to be produced within 30 days of the Orders coming into effect.
I am aware that, following an exchange with one of the Committee’s Advisers, your team has arranged for the maps for these two instruments to be made available on the day that the Orders come into effect. I would like to thank them for their prompt response about this matter.
That said, it remains the case that the maps were not available to my Committee for its scrutiny, and the current formula means that in most cases, the maps would not have to be published during the period when Parliament would have an opportunity to comment on Harbour Revision Orders.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) requires applicants to provide and update these maps on their websites to ensure clarity about the changes being made. This is clearly helpful. It would greatly assist parliamentary scrutiny if the initial maps were made available at an earlier stage, on the day that such Orders are laid. I would be grateful if you could change the MMO’s current policy to meet this need.
4 March 2021
Letter from Mr Tom McCormack to Lord Hodgson
The provision of illustrative plans with Harbour Revision Orders
Thank you for your letter dated 4 March 2021 regarding the Newport (Isle of Wight) and Fowey Harbour Revision Orders (HROs). I am pleased to hear of the prompt response provided by my colleagues in order to address your Committee’s comments.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) understands the issue which was caused by not having the illustrative plans for the aforementioned HROs made available for your Committee and its scrutiny. The MMO welcomes your suggestion that such illustrative plans should be made available by the respective Statutory Harbour Authorities (SHAs), at an earlier stage.
The MMO will ensure that for future HROs there will be provision for SHAs to make their illustrative plans available on the respective laying dates of those HROs, which will allow for adequate scrutiny by your Committee.
12 March 2021