RYA meets new shipping minister 

Stephen Hammond MP met with the RYA's Head of Government Affairs at the PSP Southampton Boat Show.

Newly appointed Shipping Minister Stephen Hammond MP spoke with the RYA’s Head of Government Affairs Gus Lewis at the PSP Southampton Boat Show yesterday (19 September).  

The Minister was attending the show to launch the latest version of the Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY3) but took the opportunity to visit the RYA stand (E037).    

Gus Lewis “It was good to talk to the Minister about the association and the recreational boating sector. It’s important now, following the cabinet reshuffle, that we make the connections and build the relationships we need with the newly appointed Ministers in order for us to be able to lobby effectively on behalf of members.  

“We are meeting with the Minister at the Conservative Party Conference when we will talk to him in more depth about the challenges currently facing recreational boating and our key concerns”.  

Stephen Hammond MP was elected as a Member of Parliament for Wimbledon in May 2005 and in December 2005 was promoted to position of Shadow Minister for Transport, a position he held until 2010, when he was appointed PPS to Rt. Hon Eric Pickles MP. 

Another key ministerial change for recreational boating is John Hayes’ appointment to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Many see his appointment and that of Owen Paterson MP (Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a weakening of the green voice at the Cabinet table.  

“Hayes has opposed wind farms in his constituency, describing wind turbines as visually intrusive. He was quoted by the BBC in 2009 as saying, ‘renewable energy needs to pass the twin tests of environmental and economic sustainability and wind power fails on both counts’” What impact these views may have on public policy going forward remains to be seen”, concludes Gus Lewis.  

The RYA will be attending the Conservative and Labour Party Conferences together with the British Marine Federation, the Inland Waterways Association and the British Canoe Union under the umbrella organisation of the Boating Alliance.