Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) Liverpool City Region and (b) Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in the context of its status as a freeport.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) supports UK Freeports to attract new investment, boost trade and create thousands of jobs in their surrounding areas.

DBT provides tailored support to Liverpool City Region Freeport to develop and implement an ambitious trade and investment strategy, including to promote the advanced manufacturing and logistics opportunity at Parkside St Helens, as one of the Freeport’s strategic tax sites.

Support provided by DBT includes the creation of bespoke marketing collateral and engaging potential investors at international events through DBT’s global network. In November, DBT supported the Freeport’s presence at the Arab British Economic Summit to target investment from the Middle Eastern market.