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Category 2 Responders - Generic Emergency Planning Arrangements

Port Sector

Company-owned ports

Most commercial ports are now in the private sector. Companies now operate all but six of the largest 20 ports by tonnage, a minority of which account for a significant percentage of the business and throughput.

These ports are subject to the full freedoms and disciplines of the commercial marketplace.

Trust ports

Trust ports are independent statutory bodies. They have independent boards of trustees charged with acting in the interests of all stakeholders.

Only about 20 trust ports now have an annual turnover above £1million. Just eight others have an annual turnover of more than £500k. Several now register negligible income, derived in some instances from activities such as tourism and car parking.

A few are important in specific markets. Dover handles almost 60 per cent of international sea borne passenger traffic, and 28 per cent of international road goods vehicles carried by ferry. Lerwick and Milford Haven have major oil facilities. Five of the biggest trust ports support the fishing industry.

Municipal ports

A few commercially significant ports are municipally owned. Sullom Voe and Flotta appear in the top 20 by tonnage (both because of specialised oil facilities), along with Portsmouth. Ramsgate, Sunderland, Weymouth and Workington are the most significant of the rest.

For further information visit: www.ports.org.uk

Emergency Planning

Each port/port group is responsible for its own emergency planning. In general contingency plans to deal with "domestic" emergencies e.g. utility outages are in place in all major/medium ports. Key personnel in individual ports can be contacted via their own websites or via the following contacts.

Contacts

Trade Associations
British Ports Association, 0207 242 1200
www.britishports.org.uk

United Kingdom Major Ports Group, 0207 430 7460
www.ukmajorports.org.uk

UK Government - Department of Transport
mike.davies@dft.gsi.gov.uk
0207 944 5086
ruth.bootland@dft.gsi.gov.uk
0207 944 2639

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