Ports in Wales : fifteenth report of session 2008-09, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

Ports are vitally important economic resources for Wales, playing a key role in the movement of both freight and people and providing essential international trade links.

Yet Welsh ports are under-exploited resources that could play a much greater role in Wales' economic development.

A fully co-ordinated approach to ports policy from the Department for Transport and the Welsh Assembly Government is necessary to ensure that their economic benefit is maximized and that port operators, local authorities and others have shared and coherent objectives.

The Wales Office should play a much greater and more proactive role in facilitating and encouraging co-operation between the Welsh Assembly Government and relevant central government departments.

There is a significant opportunity for Wales to capitalize on the growth of the leisure cruise market and growing demand for new cruise destinations, but the cruise market in Wales is being held back by the lack of facilities for liners to berth alongside the port. The report also recommends: Greater harmonisation of risk assessment methodologies is required between authorities to ensure consistency in monitoring threats to ports and allocating resources for security; Dyfed Powys Police should receive additional resources to ensure it has the specialist capability required to deal with security at Milford Haven's port; Ports should be given a greater profile in transport and planning decisions locally, regionally and across borders; and, Short-sea shipping or feedering services to transport goods from major hub ports should be developed to offer alternatives to road transport.