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“Survival of Gosport Ferry now in Government’s hands” says Portsmouth MP following continued lobbying

Portsmouth South’s Stephen Morgan MP has joined with neighbouring council leaders, the Commodore of HM Naval Base and other MPs to lobby government into taking action to save the much-loved Gosport Ferry service.

The city MP’s latest efforts follow a string of parliamentary written questions putting pressure on Government to act and a letter sent to the Transport Secretary last week, highlighting where support must be offered. This can be seen here.

The most recent letter from the political leader and other local representatives details the measures that local authorities have been taking to save the service, including offering a deferment in licence fees and pontoon charges before urging government to step up.

In signing the letter from local leaders, Stephen Morgan MP said:

“Cash strapped councils have shown leadership by offering relief to the crucial ferry service by offering the deferral of charges amounting to £42,000 per month. Now it falls on government to do their bit.

Sadly government support packages have not supported Gosport Ferry so far bringing uncertainty to those who work for the company and those who benefit from the service. Today, along with other stakeholders, I have urged government to redress this and offer a package to balance the shortfall.

This is an essential service relied upon by our region. The varied mix of signatories to the letter, led by local councils, is a testament to that. The survival of the ferry service is in the hands of government, we must now see urgent action from them.”

All signatories, including two Government Ministers who represent constituencies in the region, suggest that “the value of Gosport Ferry may not have been fully appreciated” by government and pushed for urgent action.

Stephen Morgan MP added:

“Liaising with senior members of Gosport Ferry, the trade unions, staff affected and constituents who have told me the value of this service, I have already taken a range of actions to help.

I remain committed to working with others to highlight the gaps in government support and what this means for vital transport infrastructure in our region. I will continue to lobby Ministers to ensure they take notice of just how important our region is. Government must not forget that.”