Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the additional cost in terms of both time and money of off-loading ships’ cargo at St Helena in cases where it is necessary for the cargo to be off-loaded at the new wharf at Rupert’s Bay and then ferried by barge to the old wharf at James’s Bay due to the absence of supporting infrastructure such as container lay-down areas at Rupert’s Bay.

The costs of transferring freight from Rupert’s Wharf to James Bay are included in the St Helena Government’s draft budget for 2018/19, which is yet to be agreed by St Helena’s Elected Members. Through our programme of financial aid, DFID will contribute the majority of funds to that budget. Since the new air service and associated sea freight arrangements have been put in place, the cost to the St Helena and UK taxpayers are significantly less than under the previous arrangements.