Following the RAF Museum's raising of a Dornier off the coast of Dover, Matthew has continued to learn about the work of the Port of London Authority (PLA) in the capital. The PLA is the second largest port operator in the country and has responsibility for managing activities on the River Thames from Canvey Island up to the lock at Teddington.
Whilst MPs are able to see what happens on the Thames from the Houses of Parliament, Matthew boarded the PLA's own vessel to see first-hand how management occurs. Almost 6.5 million commuters use the Thames each year to travel round the city and Crossrail started moving tunnelling soil from its Docklands Transfer Station at Northfleet to Wallasea Island, where the RSPB is creating a nature reserve. Transport for London has also started an assessment for moving the Northern Line extension soil from Battersea out of the area. In total, 3.3 million tonnes of goods and materials have been moved on the river in the last year. All this activity reduces the need for lorry transport on the capital's roads which is not only good for congestion but also the environment.
However, it is the imports and exports at the PLA which play a vital role in London's economy. Over 500,000 cars pass through the docks, along with 15.4 million tonnes of fuel, 14.8 million tonnes of containers, 6.7 million tonnes of aggregates and 6.2 million tonnes of other cargo such as sugar, vegetable oil, metals and chemicals.
Matthew said: "The PLA provides a vital function for both the London and national economy but there is very little discussion of its work. It is not just of interest to riparian MPs but also to myself in a seat such as Hendon because 95% of all London's goods pass through the docks. This means that much of the food we eat, fuel we pump into our cars and clothes we wear will have floated up the Thames and entered the PLA docks at Tilbury."