Allatsea…

The debate over the location of the new cruise/ferry port on the Forth is lacking strategic input from the Scottish Government. What we see instead are the vested interests of individual bodies; Fife/east Lothian Councils are defending their patch and Forth Ports is protecting its bizarre monopoly on the river.

The Scottish Minister for Trade and Investment, Ivan Mckee, is all at sea on the issue and is hiding behind officials determined to leave the decision to the free market. He is being badly advised and Scotland is losing European export opportunities through lack of basic national infrastructure.

The market simply won’t take the necessary 30-year view on port investment and economic return when company directors have a beady eye on their annual bonus.

We will end up with the cheapest solution, attracting the greatest public subsidy while maintaining the existing profit flows on the Forth. The needs of the customer will come last.

A modern cruise/ferry port on the Forth will need fast 24-hour access, unimpeded by tidal flows and long approaches. It will need direct docking facilities (no tenders) and the capability to power the liners at rest from the electricity grid. It will also need quick entry to Edinburgh centre by both road and rail.

As a location for the new

cruise/ferry port, Burntisland can’t compete with Cockenzie on paper, but that won’t matter if the decision is driven more by lobbying prowess than common sense. It’s time Ivan Mckee came out the cupboard and made his own call on it. CALUM MILLER Polwarth Terrace, Prestonpans, East Lothian