Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to pursue the creation of Freeports in Northern Ireland; and whether doing so would cause any conflict with the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Lord Evans of Rainow

Excellent progress has been made with Freeport delivery - all English Freeports are open for business and seven out of eight have final government approval. We have also announced two new Green Freeports in Scotland as well as two new Freeports in Wales. The location of each Freeport can be found on the Freeports page on GOV.UK.

The lack of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive has seriously limited the scope and nature of engagement in Northern Ireland on Freeports and on Investment Zones. Officials from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Civil Service continue to work closely together. However, on this and on so many other areas where action is needed to grow the economy in Northern Ireland, we need rapid restoration of the Executive to allow projects like this to go ahead and to benefit from the opportunities provided by the Windsor Framework.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government which locations in Great Britain have been selected as Freeports.

Answered by Lord Evans of Rainow

Excellent progress has been made with Freeport delivery - all English Freeports are open for business and seven out of eight have final government approval. We have also announced two new Green Freeports in Scotland as well as two new Freeports in Wales. The location of each Freeport can be found on the Freeports page on GOV.UK.

The lack of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive has seriously limited the scope and nature of engagement in Northern Ireland on Freeports and on Investment Zones. Officials from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Civil Service continue to work closely together. However, on this and on so many other areas where action is needed to grow the economy in Northern Ireland, we need rapid restoration of the Executive to allow projects like this to go ahead and to benefit from the opportunities provided by the Windsor Framework.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any UK armed forces in Kosovo; and if so, whether they are within a NATO or EU armed presence.

Answered by Baroness Goldie

The UK routinely contributes 41 personnel to NATO's KFOR mission, including an important contribution to KFOR’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability. Additionally, a defence advisor and a non-resident Defence Attaché support our bilateral relationship with Kosovo.

Following a request from Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and as outlined in the Gov.uk press release published on 1 October 2023, the UK will also deploy the Strategic Reserve Force held at readiness in the UK. Around 200 soldiers from 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment will join the 400-strong British contingent already in country as part of an annual exercise.

This follows on from the violent attack on Kosovo Police in northern Kosovo on 24 September and increasing tensions in the region.