Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK met Steam Packet Chief Executive Mark Woodward this morning (Tuesday December 13, 2011) for an update on the company’s proposals to maintain services to the Island in the pre-Christmas period. The Chief Minister commented: ‘The Steam Packet is obviously faced with an exceptional situation at the moment, as an unusually prolonged succession of gales has coincided with the Ben-my-Chree’s technical issues, which are scheduled to be resolved this weekend. ‘Clearly it will be necessary once the immediate difficulties have been overcome for the Government and Steam Packet to sit down together to review what lessons can be learned for the future from this experience. ‘In the meantime I have impressed upon the company the importance of this time of year for local retail businesses, as well as other aspects of Island life, and I have encouraged them to keep up their communication with the public. My impression from talking to people is that most of members of the public are being grown-up about what is happening and understand that services have been disrupted by a rare convergence of circumstances.’ Ends