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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on trade union recognition within freeports.

We were clear in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus that the government remains committed to ensuring its Freeport model maintains the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment, while ensuring fair and open competition between businesses.

It is for determination of the individual Freeports themselves who they include in their coalitions within the parameters we have set.