Rob Flello MP with Mike Sellers, Port Manager for Grimsby and Immingham, at the Port of Immingham on Thursday 8th October 2015.
Rob Flello, Member of Parliament for Stoke-On-Trent, has visited Associated British Ports (ABP) in Hull, Grimsby and Immingham this week as part of his Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT) infrastructure and manufacturing Fellowship.
ABP is the UK’s leading port operator with a network of 21 ports across England, Scotland and Wales. Included in this network is the UK’s busiest port at Immingham, which Mr Flello visited on Thursday, and the nation’s second largest and most efficient container port at Southampton which he visited earlier in the summer.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freight Transport and a member of the Transport Select Committee, Mr Flello was keen to improve his understanding of port operations. He is particularly interested in the role that ports play in the supply chain. The visits to Hull and Immingham built upon a previous IPT visit to the Port of Southampton.
Commenting on his visit, Mr Flello said:
“After visiting the port at Southampton earlier this year, I knew that I wanted to build on this experience and find out more about the ABP network. The visits to Hull and Immingham this week have done just that and it was fascinating to learn about how different ports operate across the ABP network and the UK in general.
Rob Flello at the Port of Grimsby on Thursday 8th October 2015.
“My IPT Fellowship has been invaluable in helping me to better understand the UK’s infrastructure and manufacturing industries and I am looking forward to continuing to expand my knowledge through future Fellowship visits.
Simon Bird, ABP Director Humber added:
“I am delighted that Mr Flello found his visits to Hull, Grimsby and Immingham so helpful. In 2014, ABP and its customers handled 94.5 million tonnes of cargo and supported 84, 000 jobs across the UK. It is therefore vital that we maintain a constructive relationship with parliamentarians. Through its Fellowships scheme, the IPT is helping to bridge the gap between parliament and industry and I look forward to hosting more Fellows in the future.”
About the IPT
- A full list of the IPT’s Trustees can be found at the IPT’s website: http://www.ipt.org.uk/
presidents-and-board-of- trustees.aspx - To find out more about the Industry and Parliament Trust please visit: www.ipt.org.uk or contact Alex Smith, Communications Officer on 020 7839 9409 or AlexSmith@ipt.org.uk.
- The Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT) is a registered charity dedicated to promoting mutual understanding between Parliament, business, industry and commerce for the public benefit. This is achieved by encouraging dialogue between legislators and wealth generators from all sectors of business. The IPT is independent, non-partisan and non-lobbying.
- Fellowships are bespoke placements in industry for MPs, MEPs and peers structured around a set of learning objectives dictated by each parliamentarian at the beginning of their programme. Fellowships are non-lobbying, non-partisan and educational in ethos and are supported across Parliament. There are currently 63 parliamentarians undertaking a Fellowship. There have been over 500 Fellows since the IPT was founded in 1977.
Associated British Ports
- Further Information about the Associated British Ports can be found at the following website:www.abports.co.uk.
- The UK ports industry is the largest in Europe and its operations provide critical economic infrastructure for the nation’s manufacturers and businesses.
- In 2014 ABP and its customers handled 94.5 million tonnes of cargo and every year it supports 84, 000 jobs and contributes £5.6 billion to the UK economy.
- The group’s other activities include rail terminal operations (Hams Hall Rail Terminal), ship’s agency, dredging (UK Dredging Ltd), and marine consultancy (ABPmer). Each port also offers a well-established community of port service providers.
