Dover summit cancelled at last minuite by Minister
December 12, 2011
UK Ports minister Mike Penning cancelled last Fridays summit meeting over the plan to privatise Dover.
Last night’s eleventh hour cancellation of the summit — Penning (pictured) was to chair the meeting — was described as “very disappointing” by the chairman of the Dover People’s Port Trust, Neil Wiggins.
Department for Transport officials cited “urgent Parliamentary business” as the reason for the cancellation.
Penning had called the round-table discussion in an attempt to find common ground between Dover Harbour Board, which wants to push ahead with a £400 million (US$628.7m) privatisation of the publicly owned trust port, and its opponents, who include the ro-ro hub’s ferry line customers and the local community.
Industry insiders suggested that Penning, who will not make the final decision on the DHB plan, was trying to reach a compromise on future port tariffs and local community involvement that would see privatisation go though without a legal challenge.
Theresa Villiers, the minister of state with final responsibility for deciding on the DHB proposal, would have no knowledge of the issues discussed at the meeting when it does take place, the DfT said.
A spokesman at the DfT said Penning had to cancel the meeting because of important business relating to drink-driving court notification errors in the UK, stretching back 20 years.
He said. “We are looking to reschedule the meeting as soon as possible in the new year.”
A P&O Ferries spokesman said: “We are happy to attend a rearranged meeting.”
Courtesy of IFW
