Ports today: state of play -- Department for Transport's review -- Ports tomorrow: national views in a regional setting -- European dimension -- Environmental concerns -- Planning -- Safety and employment -- Conclusion: making the market work -- Annex 1: map of UK ports -- Annex 2: glossary -- Formal minutes -- Witnesses -- List of written evidence -- Reports from the transport committee session 2006-07.

Provides details of the Department for Transport's inquiry into the ports industry in England and Wales including looking at: ownership of ports in the United Kingdom; whether the general policy framework, as set out in 'The Future of Transport', is adequate for port operations in the 21st century; whether the Department's demand forecasting is realistic and whether the UK will have the capacity to meet this projected demand; what the impact of ports is on regional development strategies; whether smaller ports have an independent future and when the Department should intervene; whether surface access to ports is adequate and what is best practice; how ports can reduce their environmental impact and whether there should be a duty on all UK ports to be carbon-neutral; and whether safety measures are adequate and the UK's 74 000 ports workers are adequately protected and working in good conditions.