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Minister takes tour of booming port
A GOVERNMENT minister who oversees the region's economy enjoyed a tour of the booming Port of Tyne.
Nick Brown, Minister for North East England and MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend, met the port's new chief executive officer Andrew Moffat during his fact-finding tour of the South Shields-based maritime authority.
Port of Tyne now employs 450 people, and is a major contributor to the regional economy.
Despite the recession, the authority is continuing to push ahead with its commercial expansion plans, including a big increase in cruise liner business.
Mr Moffat said: "As a service provider in a fast-moving global market, we recognised some time ago that if we were to increase our market share and portfolio of services, we needed to develop our facilities.
Our position to take advantage of new opportunities and keep pace with the changes in world shipping and supply chain is now much stronger.
"Business has grown, but this level of growth brings with it its own pressure to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of our customers, especially in today's economic climate."
Mr Brown visited the port's coal and rail terminals, where last November, a record 67 trains were loaded with coal, bound for power generators.
The total tonnage of coal handled by Port of Tyne over the last two years has increased from 1.6 million to three million tonnes.
Mr Moffat added: "It always gives us enormous pleasure to showcase our port, and it was especially good to welcome Nick Brown, as it is nearly 30 years since he last visited us."
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
