Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the suitability of DP World as preferred partners for freeports.

Freeports were selected through an open and transparent process based on consideration of the criteria in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freeports-bidding-prospectus), and in accordance with the Freeports Decision-Making Note (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freeports-bidding-prospectus/english-freeports-selection-decision-making-note).

Freeport selection is a matter for HM Treasury.