Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of coastal communities on the national economy; and whether she plans to publish a strategy for supporting economic growth in coastal towns.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead for coastal communities across Government. Many coastal communities are also rural, and Defra is the lead department for rural communities. Rural areas contributed over £259 billion (12%) to the economy in England in 2023. Further information and analysis on the contribution of rural areas to the economy can be found in the Statistical Digest of Rural England - GOV.UK.