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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to develop a coastal industrial strategy with regard to (a) renewable energy, (b) small-scale fishing, (c) aquaculture and (d) tourism; and if he will make a statement.

To deliver an effective Industrial Strategy that works for all, it is important to build on local excellence and learning from our strengths to boost growth across the UK. We need to learn from the best ideas across the country - businesses, workers, consumers, the research community, and local leaders – including from coastal communities.

The Government is already supporting coastal areas to create jobs and investment. By 2017 the Coastal Communities Fund will have invested over £120 million in projects that are helping to create or safeguard over 18,000 jobs, provide more than 12,000 training places and apprenticeships, and attract over £200 million of public/private sector co-finance. A further £90m is available between 2017 & 2021 and is the first time Coastal Community Teams in England are able to bid to the Coastal Communities Fund ensuring that, wherever possible, projects have the support of the local community and meet wider economic objectives.