The UK Government on Tuesday appointed Whitney MP Robert Courts as the Minister for Department of Transport. Courts replaced Kelly Tolhurst who has been appointed as Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Rochester and Strood MP, Tolhurst served as the Maritime Minister for seven months. She was appointed to the Department of Transport in February this year, replacing Wealden MP Nusrat Ghani.
Speaking on the reshuffle in the UK Cabinet, UK Chamber of Shipping Chief Executive Bob Sanguinetti said:
“I would like to place on record my thanks to Kelly Tolhurst for her dedication as Shipping Minister. She worked incredibly closely with the industry during Covid-19 and ensured freight could continue to flow into the country, and understood the plight of seafarers, helping convene an international summit on crew change.
“I wish her the very best for her new role and I look forward to working with Robert Courts as we look to take advantage of future opportunities for the UK shipping industry including tackling climate change and the Covid-19 recovery.”
Sea News, September 9
