New forum will look into ferry pricing and reliability

Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, has declined the opportunity to express support for the ownership model of Isle of Wight ferry operator, Red Funnel, during Transport Questions in the House of Commons.

The minister was responding to concerns raised by Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East and shadow parliamentary private secretary for transport. Mr Robertson challenged the high cost of crossing the Solent, highlighting that Red Funnel is controlled by Canadian pension funds, and charges Island residents up to £400 for a return car ferry journey.

When asked directly whether he supported this ownership and pricing model, the minister declined to give support. Instead, he confirmed that the Government is establishing a new transport forum to examine pricing, ticketing, and reliability of ferry services, as previously reported.

During the exchange, Mr Robertson asked: “Isle of Wight ferry company, Red Funnel, is controlled by Canadian pension funds. It’s unregulated and charges Isle of Wight residents up to £400 for taking a return car ferry crossing. Does the Minister support that ownership model and pricing structure for a lifeline transport connection in the UK?”

In response, Mr Kane stated: “I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. I could say it can cost you more on the Avanti up to Manchester, but that doesn’t help his constituents in the Isle of Wight, who have been struggling for quite some time.

“That’s why I went to the Isle of Wight, met with the honourable Member and the council. We’re establishing a local transport forum there and we’ve agreed a number of ways forward looking at ticketing and pricing and reliability of those ferries on the Island. And I will continue to promise to be engaged, but I need the honourable member’s help as well in this.”

Mr Kane travelled to the Island last month and met with Mr Robertson, IW West MP Richard Quigley, council leader, Phil Jordan, other Island stakeholders, and the ferry companies, to discuss the problems with the cross-Solent services which have become increasingly unreliable and expensive in recent times. He was greeted by members of the Wightlink User Group, dressed as pirates, demonstrating about the “Pirates of the Solent” and chanting that the ferry companies were “robbing the Island”. He was also confronted by Bronwyn Hamilton-Brown, and told her that she didn’t have to “beg” for help, and he had visited the Island to see how the government can help solve the issues.

The exchange in the House of Commons today follows a meeting earlier in the week between Joe Robertson and the Minister for Devolution, Jim McMahon, who expressed his willingness to give a new Mayor for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight powers over ferry companies.