Skip to main content

Freight: Transport

Volume 456: debated on Tuesday 6 February 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many (a) airports, (b) airfields, (c) ports, (d) harbours and (e) landing points on tidal rivers the unloading of goods was possible in each region and country of the UK in 2006. (118043)

[holding answer 5 February 2007]: The terms used in the question do not reflect classifications used in legislation. The following table shows the nearest available equivalents.

Aerodromes and ports by Government Office region

Licensed aerodromes (airports, airfields and heliports)

Airports reporting ‘freight set-down’ to CAA in 2005

Ports listed in Focus on Ports 2006

Commercially active ports supplying traffic returns to DFT in 2005

Government Office Region

North East

2

2

20

6

North West

8

2

28

10

Yorkshire and the Humber

8

2

23

20

East Midlands

10

1

4

2

West Midlands

7

2

0

0

East of England

22

5

26

13

London

4

2

8

1

South East

20

3

42

14

South West

20

7

77

23

England

101

26

228

89

Wales

8

1

45

15

Scotland

29

14

108

29

Northern Ireland

4

2

37

8

UK

142

43

418

141

Notes: 1. Focus on Ports 2006 (DFT, 2006) stated that there were more than 650 harbours where statutory harbour powers had been granted. Of these 418 were listed in detail—this list included all commercially significant ports, as well as a number of smaller ports and harbours. Some very small wharfs, terminals and harbours were not included. 2. Forty-three airports in the UK reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that they set down freight in 2005. Not all 142 licensed aerodromes would be able to handle freight.