More than £200million has been stripped out of Isle of Wight ferry services by corporate interests over the past decade, an Island MP has told Parliament, warning that Government-backed talks risk becoming little more than a ‘talking shop’.
Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, has raised serious concerns about the newly established Cross-Solent Transport Group, claiming ferry companies do not appear to be taking the discussions seriously.
The group, set up by the Department for Transport, is supposed to tackle some of the biggest issues facing Islanders, including ferry prices, timetables and reliability. However, following its first meetings, Mr Robertson has questioned whether the talks will deliver meaningful change.
Speaking in Parliament, the Conservative MP accused corporate interests of extracting vast sums from the Island’s ferry services while pressing the Government to take action if operators fail to improve.
He told Maritime Minister Keir Mather that ‘greedy corporate interests have stripped out over £200million from our Isle of Wight ferry services in the last 10 years’.
Mr Robertson demanded assurances that Ministers would be prepared to intervene if ferry companies failed to use the opportunity to deliver better services.
Responding, Maritime Minister Keir Mather praised the MP’s efforts and insisted he was closely monitoring the group’s progress. Mr Mather said:
“The Honourable Member is determined to achieve better ferry services for his constituents and I’m pleased that he reflects on the Cross-Solent group and the work that it’s done and the progress that it is making.
Article continues below this advertisement “I am keeping a close watch on its proceedings. I expect all members of it to contribute in meaningful ways to find practical local solutions to these challenges and of course keep options under advisement going forward.”
The parliamentary exchange comes as pressure continues for stronger oversight of the Island’s vital cross-Solent ferry links.
Following his question, Mr Robertson confirmed that he and Isle of Wight West MP Richard Quigley have jointly submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister calling for ferry regulation.
The 2 MPs have now been offered a meeting with No 10 North in the coming weeks, potentially opening the door to further discussions at the highest level of Government.
