Speeches by Mather.

“By putting in that new review cycle, you will have more current referencing of the documents against one another. That can stress where ports need to be absolutely integral to considerations of other large-scale projects. An interesting philosophical question has been raised by some of the Committee’s discussion today:…”

“We work very closely with other Departments to have conversations about where NPS documents could affect port operations. Where needed, those other NPSs can refer to the relevance of the NPS as part of their work. I would point to a different legislative mechanism addressing this issue. The Planning and Infrastructure …”

“It is an interesting question about how proposed port development intersects with the responsibilities of local authorities, but I think that this document is here to offer a very clear signal to the sector that an increase in port capacity, which will very often mean a concurrent increase in the usage of land, is requ…”

“That is an incredibly important question, and I did hear it come up in the first panel of witnesses. The first thing I would say—this reverts to the question of what sits within the NPS and what does not, and how you keep a document focused—is that the first line of defence for port operators on this front is making th…”

“We have a formidable body of work to get on with as an operational Department, whether that is reforming our bus network, making sure that our train infrastructure is where it should be and challenges and opportunities to come on maritime and aviation, which sit within my portfolio. But I have every confidence that we …”

“That is a very interesting question. Of course, it is incumbent on DfT Ministers, as a group, to ensure that we have a modern and resilient transport network to be able to reconcile ourselves with any potential increase in capacity. The revised NPS makes specific reference to acknowledging the kind of increase in uniti…”

“The NPS takes account of other NPSs and, where possible, it does its very best to mirror their drafting. The national networks and energy NPSs may present relevant considerations for port decisions, and it is very important that we have that kind of synchronicity between the NPSs to make sure that we understand the int…”

“It is not quite go with the flow; it is about making sure that we have a constructive approach with a marketised sector to make sure we are getting what we need from a UK national security and resilience perspective, while recognising the fact that, overall, a marketised ports sector is a model that has worked very wel…”

“It is true that we need to be cognisant that the Government must think very carefully about how freight is managed through our port system. If global events and the destabilisation we have seen have taught us anything, it is that we need both flexibility and resilience within the system to ensure that UK trade is prote…”

“The DfT always hopes to think strategically about how to take our ports sector forward, but to an extent there is a risk of looking down the wrong end of the telescope on this issue. The UK ports sector’s main strength is the market-led approach—which I believe you discussed with the panellists the other day—whereby UK…”

“May I add something? I thought the BPA representative in your session last week made a good point about making sure that the NPSP is clear, offers strong guidance and direction and sets the ambition on things like renewable energy and shoreside electrification, but not making the document overfull and therefore losing …”

“It is an interesting question. Discussions on the principle of NSIP thresholds and how it relates to section 24 of the Planning Act can happen outside the formal consultation on the NPSP. More broadly, the NPSP references the ambitious principles that the Government want to take forward to make sure that our ports are …”

“Yes. Some issues that were raised are not directly relevant to what the Government considers to sit within the broader scope of the NPSP. But that does not mean they cannot be taken forward as part of other work we are doing. It is incumbent on me, as the new Maritime Minister, to think about how legitimate discussions…”

“We are very pleased to have had a broad range of responses to the consultation across a wide number of areas. In terms of our overall approach, we are looking to engage in good faith with what everybody has to say about where the NPSP could be improved. Legitimate points were raised both through the consultation and in…”

“Thank you; it is very kind of you to permit me. It is a real pleasure to address the Committee for the first time. As I begin this role, I hope it is the first of many such appearances. I am particularly excited to make my first appearance on the subject of ports, which means a great deal to me as a native son of the p…”

“If you will allow me, Chair, I would like very briefly to start by thanking you—”

“Thank you very much, Chair. It is a pleasure to appear before your Committee. I am Keir Mather, the new Minister for Maritime and Aviation.”

“For a development consent order, where a deemed marine license is usually required, it will be issued on the advice of the Marine Management Organisation as part of an overall single consent. For a harbour order, a separate license is issued, but both order and licence are processed in parallel by the MMO, so in practi…”

“We have worked with DEFRA closely and collaborated quite extensively to ensure that the NPS is consistent with our joint strategic requirements. We have received several detailed comments from DEFRA agencies, which we will actively consider as part of the process, but that conversation is ongoing. It will not only info…”

“I can tell! The findings of the appraisal of sustainability are proportionate to the impact that the NPS can be expected to have in its own right, seeing as it is largely dependent on a wider policy context that it has to reflect. That being said, we can actively consider how editorial change in response to the consult…”