1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136 
Government's plans for ports control
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MORE detailed proposals on the nationalisation of ports have been announced by Mr Fred MuIley, Minister for Transport, in a second consultation paper.
It takes into account the ,views expressed by interested parties on the Government intentions to bring ports into public ownership, outlined in a preliminary consultation letter issued in August.
The new document reaffirms the Government's intention to bring all commercial ports under State ownership, and the Minister has asked for their comments to be submitted by May 30.
Main features of the proposals are : • establishing a National Ports Authority to exercise central controls over commercial ports; • existing public port authorities to remain in being; • private ports and port businesses to be brought under public ownership and control.
The document describes the membership and powers of the new Authority, and defines the commercial ports which will be subject to the takeover. The proposals will not apply to manufacturers' and producers' own port facilities, fishery harbours and marine works in Scotland.
It explains how the new Authority will exercise its powers over all commercial port authorities, including the British Transport Docks Board and British Rail and British Waterways Ports.
' Port business'
The document details the procedures for bringing port businesses under the ownership and control of designated public port authorities.
Definition of a "Port business" includes any business carrying out cargo handling at a harbour navigable by sea going ships (a term which covers navigable rivers) but some types of businesses are excluded—including manufacturers' and producers' own businesses, fishery businesses, and businesses connected with offshore oil.
There will be procedures for objections to vesting orders for takeover and port authorities will be empowered to license certain businesses instead of taking them over where they consider they would be more efficiently run under existing management.
The document says, however, that public ownership should be the rule rather than the exception.
In the light of comments on the new document, firm proposals for legislation will be made and details of compensation will be made known in due course.