Ferry links between the Isle of Wight and the mainland have been given an additional £6.5 million of government support to ensure they can continue to run through the crisis, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced today.

The Treasury said the funding will help ensure these communities continue to have access to vital services such as medical care on the mainland.

They will also ensure key supplies of food and medicine are delivered, as well as continuing to support jobs on the Island.

Ferry services provide essential supplies and access to critical services in mainland hospitals such as Southampton and Portsmouth, including cancer care, dialysis and Covid-19 emergency care, as well as essential travel.

This funding builds on the £10.5m announced in the spring for these services and those in the Isles of Scilly.

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This is in addition to the temporary suspension of competition law to allow ferry operators to work together to continue to run essential services despite reduced usage during the pandemic, maintaining a vital route for those who cannot work from home and those needing medical treatment.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, said: “These ferry services are essential to everyday life on the Isle of Wight, and this further package of funding will help ensure residents can continue to access healthcare and essential goods and services.

“It’s vital no community or region is left behind as we fight the coronavirus pandemic and build back better.”

Island MP Bob Seely said: “This funding will ensure lifeline ferry services to and from the Island continue throughout the pandemic and is the result of several discussions I have had with Ministers and officials.

“Islanders can now be reassured that the ferries will continue to transport essential food, medical supplies and key workers to and from the Island.

“I would like to thank the IW Council for working with me to secure this funding and I thank Steve Barclay, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, for responding so quickly to our requests.”

Sarah Williams, associate director of research and improvement at Solent NHS, said: "The commitment of Hovertravel and other carriers to continue their service across the Solent has been a lifeline to the NHS and other communities through the pandemic.

Myself and colleagues have been able to support the pandemic response across Hampshire and the IW, the supply chain has been maintained and patients have been able to access the critical services they need.

“Within the NHS and care system, we consider Hovertravel, Wightlink and Red Funnel part of our critical infrastructure and have been struck by the extra efforts they've gone to in supporting us in a COVID safe manner.

"The adaptability, positivity and cheer that they do this with is something that we won't ever forget and for which we are extremely grateful. "

Maritime Minister Robert Courts said: “We took immediate action at the start of the pandemic to protect these vital routes, keeping the services people depend on running between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, and protecting jobs.

“This additional funding will continue this essential support for local transport operators, ensuring people can access medical care as well as other crucial services.”

A Treasury spokesperson said so far the government had invested over £12 billion to keep public transport services across England running during the pandemic.

"The government continues to work closely with industry leaders and operators across the transport sector to provide them with the support they need."

Update: Fran Collins, CEO, Red Funnel said: “We are grateful to learn of the financial support announced by the Government and are pleased that lifeline services to the Isle of Wight have again been recognised as critical routes, as they were in the first lockdown, along with the Isles of Scilly.

"We look forward to working with the Isle of Wight Council to understand the distribution of support and identify the service levels needed to keep our lifeline service in place.

"While we do not anticipate the support will be enough to offset the growing losses we have continued to absorb since the onset of the pandemic, the funding will be fully used to maintain our lifeline service as agreed with the Isle of Wight Council, and we will continue to do everything we can to keep the Island connected and supplied, as we have since March.

"We wish to thank the Department for Transport, the Isle of Wight Council and its Transport Infrastructure Board for their vital support in helping us continue sailing and serving our Island community.”

Update: 

The leader of the Isle of Wight Council, the chairman of the Isle of Wight Transport Infrastructure Board and the chief executive of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust have welcomed today’s (Friday) announcement of Department for Transport funding of a further £6.5 million to ensure lifeline cross-Solent services are in place for the Island.

Council leader, Cllr Dave Stewart, said: “The ferry operators serving the Island have made enormous efforts to ensure lifeline services are maintained during these very difficult times – and I am very pleased to see that the government has once again recognised this through crucial financial support.

“This funding is essential to safeguard vital links between the Isle of Wight and mainland, ensuring a minimum level of service is available.

“This is important because we need those services in place to enable Islanders to access critical services in mainland hospitals and allow essential supplies, such as food and medicine, to be transported to the Island.

“However, let me be clear, these services are not open for people to come on holiday to the Island – they are there to make sure food and supplies can reach us and that medical staff and key workers can continue to travel.

"The co-operation and dialogue involving all parties and with the government has played a key part in achieving this support and national acknowledgment. I would particularly like to thank the ferry operators, MP Bob Seely and board chairman, Christopher Garnett, for all their work on behalf of Islanders.

“I would also like to remind people of the message that all travel should only be for essential journeys unless for work if you can’t stay at home.”

Transport Infrastructure Board chairman, Christopher Garnett, said: “This funding will serve to further support and underpin the maintenance of effective and robust services to the Island at this critical and challenging time.

"It also recognises the enormous efforts the ferry operators, their management teams and staffs have made during this whole pandemic – both in continuing to provide services and in working tirelessly and very closely for the benefit of Island residents and businesses.”

Maggie Oldham, chief executive at Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said: “Maintaining these vital services is absolutely critical to the NHS.

"Securing this lifeline means NHS workers can reach the Island so that our acute, ambulance, community, and mental health and learning disabilities services can continue to support our community.

"These crucial services also mean our patients can travel to mainland hospitals to seek specialist treatment if they need it."

Update:

Wightlink welcomed the news of some financial support for cross Solent routes announced by the Government, but was disappointed to see the FastCat excluded.   

Chief executive Keith Greenfield said: "Although more essential travellers are crossing the Solent at present, compared to the first lockdown in spring 2020, Wightlink continues to make losses during the pandemic and the Government support just announced will not change that.   

"The support may help us keep our Lymington-Yarmouth route open on weekdays but it is disappointing that Wightlink’s FastCat foot passenger route between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head has been specifically excluded from the support package."