Recommendation 25

A three-year grant scheme is not suitable for the maritime sector, which operates on long timescales and requires support for capital costs. The Government should reintroduce the Freight Facilities Grant in England and review the Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme and Waterborne Freight Grants to make sure that they are suitable for the maritime sector and will be effective in achieving modal shift. These funding streams will only realise their maximum benefits, however, if they are not simply used as a way of cutting costs by those cargo ship and bulk carrier operators who use the low-cost crewing model. (Paragraph 134) People