Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which harbours from Lymington to Dartford and in the Isle of Wight are subject to open port duty regulations.
Answer
Harbour authorities are each governed by their own statutes but nearly all significant commercial harbour authorities have incorporated section 33 of the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847 or an equivalent in their legislation.That is the section which provides that"““upon payment of the rates made payable by this and the special Act (i.e. the Act which incorporates section 33) and subject to the other provisions thereof, the harbour, dock and pier shall be open to all persons for the shipping and unshipping of goods and the embarking and landing of passengers””."I understand the hon. Member's question is intended to refer to the River Dart rather than Dartford. The Department does not have a definitive list of those harbour authorities which have incorporated section 33 but we understand that among the harbour authorities in the relevant geographical area that have done so are Cowes, Yarmouth, Lymington, Poole, Weymouth, Portland, Torbay, Exmouth and the Dart.