By Isle of Wight Observer
The Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, is to visit the Island following a private meeting with the leader of the Isle of Wight Council.
Cllr Phil Jordan travelled to Westminster yesterday (Thursday) to discuss the Island’s cross-Solent ferry issues with Mike Kane MP, and said that it has been agreed that a working party will be set up to look at the future of the services.
With responsibility for transport likely to move from Westminster to a more local body in the future, there is likely to be considerably greater attention given to the needs of the Island than has previously been the case.
Both the previous Conservative government and the new Labour one are keen to devolve powers away from national government to more local bodies. Portsmouth, Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight councils have already expressed interest in exploring devolved powers, which all parties have agreed must include the responsibility for the cross-Solent ferry services.
Transport for the South East, a partnership of 16 local authorities, has also interested in becoming a statutory transport authority for the region.
Speaking after the meeting, held in Mike Kane’s offices in the Department for Transport, Cllr Jordan said: “I want to thank the Minister for his warm and welcoming reception today. I had the opportunity to exchange detailed views and concerns in a private meeting in Westminster.
“As part of our ongoing dialogue, the Minister has agreed to visit us on the Island to see, first hand, the issues we face. We are arranging for his visit early in the new year. I look forward to welcoming him to our Island and to continuing discussions around our lifeline ferry services.
“As a result of the meeting today we will be setting up a working group, which will include senior civil servants, to investigate options and possibilities for the future of our lifeline ferry services.
“In the meantime I will be working with our two MPs to agree on the minimum standards that the Island must have from the ferry companies. Obviously that will cover prices, and service regularity and reliability, but we will also look at future investment requirements, transparency and other issues, such as automatic compensation for service failures.”
