The UK Government is today making public their decision to move to establish two Freeports in Scotland, after months of delay. The Scottish Government have also published a statement on their website highlighting their concern that the UK Government will not adopt their additions to the Freeports package (which have thus far held up the process). Business Minister Ivan McKee said, 'the Scottish Government, therefore, has no option but to take forward plans to further develop our green port model which meets the specific needs of Scotland’s economy.'
The BPA's understanding is that both governments may now press ahead with their own independent processes.
Commenting, Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Associaton, said:
"The British Ports Association is alarmed at today's developments, which represents a serious failure from both governments that is becoming increasingly frustrating for Scottish ports. The idea that there could now be two different models or application processes being pursued by each government is absurd and is undermining business confidence. It is long past time that the Scottish and UK Ministers sat down and found a solution to what is a trivial disagreement that is holding back investment and job creation in Scottish ports."
The British Ports Association represents the interests of over 100 port members, covering more than 400 ports, terminal operators and port facilities. The UK ports industry plays a key role in the country’s economy as 95% of the UK’s international trade – imports and exports – is carried through British ports. UK ports also handle more than 60 million international and domestic passenger journeys each year. The UK port industry is the second largest in Europe, handling around 500 million tonnes of freight each year. UK ports directly employ around 115,000 people.