Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps have been taken to attract international investment in the Northern Powerhouse.

In 2016 the Department for International Trade (DIT) established a dedicated taskforce to deliver bespoke activity to attract foreign investment into the Northern Powerhouse. This activity includes: full profiling of the offer in key sectors for the region and showcasing these at events overseas; working with DIT’s overseas network, and local partners across the North, to deliver bespoke activity to promote the region as a destination for investment; international promotion of a portfolio of Northern capital investment opportunities; and provision of funding for the account management of existing foreign investors by local partners.