Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme intended to apply within Freeport tax sites is planned to be claimable on qualifying new plant and machinery purchased outside the UK.

This Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme is designed to incentivise companies to invest in plant and machinery in freeport tax sites. There is no restriction specific to this scheme in respect of purchasing assets abroad. Qualifying plant and machinery purchased outside of the UK will be eligible for the Enhanced Capital Allowance for freeport tax sites. The main requirements in order to qualify for this relief are that such plant and machinery must be new, it must be primarily for use in a freeport tax site, and the relief is only available to companies within the charge to corporation tax with trading businesses or carrying on certain other activities. This Enhanced Capital Allowance will be available for qualifying expenditure incurred during the period from when the relevant freeport tax site is designated until 30 September 2026. As for other capital allowances for plant and machinery, the expenditure must be incurred by the business carrying out the qualifying activity and the plant or machinery must be owned by that company or deemed to be owned by that company under the capital allowance rules.