Ports policy is devolved to Scottish Ministers and the current framework is set out in Modern Ports: A UK Policy.
Following the Devolution settlement, from the 1st of July 1999, the Executive inherited from the Department of Environment Transport and Regions (DETR) the responsibility to develop policies and legislate on a range of ports and harbours matters.
Ports section on the Department for Transport website.
This includes:
- Responsibility for administering provisions in the Harbours Act and related local legislation
- Policy on commercial, publicly owned and trust ports
- Designating harbour authorities under the Pilotage Act
- Relevant powers in the Ports Act
- The issuing of consents under Section 34 of the Coast Protection Act.
This work falls to the Ports & Harbours Branch and involves liaison with:
- The Department for Transport (DfT) (renamed from DETR)
- The Maritime and Coastguard Agency
- The Northern Lighthouse Board
- A number of other bodies in consideration of both devolved and reserved ports, harbours, coast protection and related matters