TruckandTrackAutumn2019

Truck and Track Autumn 2019 www.truckandtrack.com 74 PORTS The British Ports Association (BPA) has welcomed a study published by the Centre for Policy Studies think tank on future post Brexit trade today, but argued that, unless modified, there is a danger that proposals on free ports would merely replicate existing rules. Free ports are trading areas with a special status which exempts goods from customs arrangements and duties but many of the advantages can already be achieved with routine permissions from the UK Government. The BPA has however been exploring a vision where ports may be granted special planning and development status to stimulate economic activity. Commenting on the report, the British Ports Association’s Chief Executive Richard Ballantyne said: “It’s right that we debate future trading models but in their current form the proposals on free ports are unlikely to lead to the ‘game changing’ measures some in and outside the UK ports have imagined. Development rules and enterprise stimulus around both sea and airports could lead to real growth around our international gateways. Regional growth could be achieved by enabling ports, tenants, manufacturers and traders to develop and expand around our ports, in areas with a plentiful workforce and suitable ambitions.” The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) pamphlet highlights the potential impacts - both potentially positive and negative consequences - could be on more deprived areas, many of which are in coastal areas. The CPS recommendations include: ■■ establishing free ports after Brexit; ■■ the promotion of a truly open and flexible future trade policy; ■■ introduction of a network of ‘Opportunity Zones’ in the UK’s most economically deprived areas to incentivise foreign direct investment and boost British businesses; ■■ the encouragement of exporting through government campaigns and reforms to export credit; ■■ a holistic, supply chain-focused approach to encouraging exporting The BPA supports the Maritime UK Coastal Powerhouse initiative which aims to encourage coastal development, connectivity, innovation and clustering to drive jobs and growth. Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, teamed up with the Women in International Shipping and Trade Association (WISTA UK) to organise a reception to promote the ongoing effort to drive gender diversity across the maritime industry. The event celebrated the progress made to date and discussed ways to accelerate this momentum. Set in London’s iconic City Hall building during the first day of London International Shipping Week (LISW), London’s premier shipping industry conference, the event attracted many leaders from the fields of business, journalism and politics. Highlights of the event included keynote speeches by the Deputy Director for Maritime Strategy and Programme, Petra Wilkinson CBE, ABP’s Chief HR Officer, Alison Rumsey and WISTA UK President, Sue Terpilowski. Emphasising ABP’s commitment to diversity, ABP’s Chief HR Officer, Alison Rumsey, said: “We are delighted to be partnering withWISTA UK to promote diversity and inclusion in the maritime industry. “Diversity is of paramount importance to ABP. We fundamentally believe that organisations are much stronger when different voices are heard and points of view are listened to. As part of our commitment, we worked with Maritime UK to launch the Women in Maritime Taskforce Charter in September 2018, to which more than 110 companies are currently signed up, pledging their commitment to achieving greater gender diversity.” During the previous session of LISW in 2017, ABP and WISTA UK collaborated to run a similar event which many leaders in industry attended, which helped lay the foundations for current initiatives. Speaking about the significance of the event, Sue Terpilowski, said: “We were excited to team up with ABP for a second time during LISW to promote the importance of better career opportunities for women in our industry. “While a lot has been achieved since the last time we stood at the top of City Hall in 2017, including the establishment of the Women inMaritime Taskforce and an online speaker bank made up of women who are experts in their fields, we have more work to do. That is why we look forward to working with organisations in the sector to push for even greater strides in the right direction.” ABP &WISTA UK host ‘Women inMaritime’ reception during LISW ABP Chief HR Officer, Alison Rumsey speaks at the ABP-WISTA UK reception in City Hall during London International ShippingWeek Free Ports need ‘Bolt-Ons’ to truly transformUK, says British Ports Association Over a quarter of fish caught by the UK fishing fleet is landed abroad, according to a new report published by the Seafish Industry Authority. The total income to the catching sector in 2018 from fish landings was £978m, up slightly on 2017. £254m of fish was landed outside of the UK by the UK fleet in 2018 where processing adds further value. The British Ports Association, which represents the overwhelming majority of UK fishing ports, including the top 20 by landings, is campaigning for the Government to require more landings to be made directly into the UK where the bulk of the value is realised. Commenting on the report, Economics of theUK Fishing Fleet 2018, Mark Simmonds, Head of Policy at the British Ports Association said: “UK fisheries are a precious resource and we should be doing everything we possibly can to realise the value of that resource in UK communities. That should include a condition in commercial licences to land directly into a UK port.” BPA: Over a quarter of fish caught by the UK fishing fleet is now landed abroad COMBINED TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS 01543 420 121 www. deker .co.uk