Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's Freedom of Information response of 29 January 2024 to the Rt Hon Member for Islington South and Finsbury of 29 January (reference number FOI2023/08394), how many freeports were recorded as having a number of jobs created as a result of verified foreign direct investment of (a) zero, (b) 1 to 50, (c) 51 to 150, (d) 151 to 250, (e) 251 to 400, (f) 401 to 710 and (g) more than 710 between 1 December 2021 and 29 February 2024.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
There is an expectation that FDI performance of UK Freeports will be assessed in the upcoming annual report on the programme that DLUHC will be releasing in Summer. The data used in the FOI remain the most recent in the public domain.
Asked by: Dave Doogan (Scottish National Party - Angus)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding Angus constituency has received from (a) all funding schemes put in place to replace EU structural funding, (b) the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, (c) the Levelling-Up Fund and (d) the Long-Term Plan for Towns in each year since 2016.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
There is no single fund that directly replaces EU structural funding. Levelling up funding comprises various measures that include, for example, the Levelling Up Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Long Term Plan for Towns, the Community Renewal Fund, the Community Ownership Fund, and pre-existing programmes such as the City Region and Growth Deals. These come alongside the largest block grant ever for the devolved administration in Scotland which the Chancellor recently confirmed, and other measures such as the Green Freeports and Investment Zones Programme which cover four areas across Scotland.
In general, details of funding support are held at local authority rather than constituency level. The UK remained a member of the European Union until January 2020.
Since then, Angus Council has been awarded nearly £5 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as well as £26.5 million from the Tay Cities Deal. It has also received nearly £300k from the Community Ownership Fund awarded to a project in Brechin for Davidson Legacy Cottage SCIO, and over £230k awarded via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme including to replace the 3G pitch at Forfar Community Football Trust, for floodlights at Station Park and Market Muir, and for solar panels at Arbroath Football Club. At Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that Arbroath in Angus will be a Long-Term Plan for Towns location and will receive £20 million of funding.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
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 support economic growth in the South East.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Over £431m has been allocated through the Levelling Up Fund, including £20m in Portsmouth to transform the visitor economy. Nearly £7m has been allocated to Portsmouth through the Future Highstreet Fund to reshape the city centre in a way that drives growth.
The Towns Fund is investing £109m across five towns in the South East to stimulate local economies. Further investments are planned through our Levelling Up Partnerships and Long-Term Plan for Towns.
The Solent and Thames Freeports will create jobs and attract new businesses in high growth sectors and Help to Grow and Growth Hubs are available to businesses.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham, Hodge Hill)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's online guidance on Freeports, last updated on 6 December 2023, whether (a) HMRC and (b) Border Force is responsible for conducting annual audits of security measures introduced by Freeport operators to mitigate physical, personnel and cyber security risks.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The annual audit which you reference has been superseded by a new approach, where the Freeport governing body will conduct the security audit and then report to the Freeport Security Forum (FSF) led by HMG. The FSF will be chaired by the Home Office and reviewed by experts within relevant departments, including HMT, Home Office and from Law Enforcement authorities. The Annual Freeport Security Audit (AFSA) complements but does not replace the standard UK customs and border security processes that apply to Freeports or similar facilities. Freeport Customs Site Operators are also required to obtain AEO(S) or equivalent authorisation from HMRC, an international gold standard for safety and security, and remain subject to robust ongoing oversight from HMRC.
For all English Freeports, the first AFSA is due to take place in the next couple of months. The online guidance on the Freeports webpage will be updated in line with the new process that is being followed in due course.
The report must be agreed and receive sign off by all local strategic security partners. If the FSF is not satisfied with a Freeport’s AFSA, they will work with the Freeport to agree improvement actions to be implemented. A Freeport will not pass annual review until the government is satisfied with the AFSA.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) further education and (b) skills development in less economically productive regions.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This government has introduced long-term structural reforms and investment, which is designed to give people the skills they need to get good jobs and boost productivity across the country, including in less economically productive areas.
Last year HM Treasury launched a public sector productivity review which found that the department has a crucial role to play in driving up productivity in the economy as a whole. Skills are responsible for a third of productivity growth between 2001 and 2019. As a result of its efforts to drive up education standards since 2010, the department has improved pupil and learner outcomes and thus contributed to wider productivity gains. The department also contributes to wider productivity in other ways, such as through support with childcare costs that helps new parents to take up jobs that fully utilise their skills. Moreover, the education sector is one of the UK’s largest construction customers, representing around 17% of total construction output.
Last year, the government also published its Levelling Up White Paper aimed at tackling geographical inequality and skills gaps. The department’s skills mission is for 200,000 more people to successfully complete high-quality training each year in England by 2030, with 80,000 more in the lowest skilled areas. Achieving this will require strong and dynamic local leadership.
The department has committed to devolving core adult education budget (AEB) to every new area of England that wants a devolution deal by 2030. The department has already devolved over 60% of the AEB to ten areas, with new deals agreed with a further eight areas. This enables devolved authorities to use the AEB to shape education and skills provision in a way that best fits the needs of their residents and local economy, including in disadvantaged areas.
In summer 2023, 38 local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) were rolled out across all areas of the country. These employer-led, locally-owned plans have galvanised and brought together businesses, providers, local leaders and stakeholders everywhere, to help better align provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.
In disadvantaged areas and communities, LSIPs are also supporting the identification and removal of specific local barriers. For example, in some rural areas, the LSIP has reviewed ways that local and regional stakeholders can collaborate to leverage funding to help resolve the impact of a lack of accommodation and transport on the recruitment and retention of employees, tutors and students. The department has also made it clear in statutory guidance that LSIPs should add value to relevant local strategies and effectively join-up with other parts of the local skills system, including universal credit claimants via Job Centre Plus. This will mean that any new proposed skills provision is also suitable for people who may encounter additional barriers to gaining the skills needed to fill local job vacancies and ensure all learners are able to unlock their full potential and progress in work.
The department has provided a £165 million local skills improvement fund to help respond to the skill needs identified in the LSIPs. LSIF funded projects will enable learners and employers across all areas of the country to access new innovative technology and industry standard teaching and facilities, with allocations to each area taking account of existing attainment and productivity levels. LSIF projects were announced in November 2023 and include training to plug key skills gaps identified by employers through the local skills improvement plans as priorities. Together, LSIPs and LSIF are a great tool to spread opportunity across the country and boost local economies to the benefit of all.
The department has committed to supporting freeports in England, which are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply aimed at stimulating growth. The department will do this through establishing linkages between key partners and freeports to strengthen the skills offer available to freeports, championing joint working between freeports, local colleges and institutes of technology and raising the profile of freeports and investment zones, when established, with relevant provider sector bodies.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Scottish Government on taking steps to support (a) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and (b) Forth Green Freeport.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Both Green Freeports are receiving significant support from UK and Scottish Governments, including access to £1 million capacity funding for each Green Freeport, dedicated expertise and advice from the Freeports Consultancy Hub and support from officials from both UK and Scottish Governments.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
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.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
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.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4105 on Freeports, how many of the 12 freeports were recorded as having (a) a number of jobs created as a result of verified foreign direct investment of (i) 0-50, (ii) 51-100, (iii) 101-150, (iv) 151-200 and (v) more than 200 and (b) an amount of capital expenditure resulting from that investment of (A) £0-£50 million, (B) £51-£100 million, (C) £101-£150 million, (D) £151-£200 million and (E) more than £200 million between December 2021 and November 2023.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The investments making up the totals published on 24 November 2023 are spread across the 12 Freeports but details of individual investments are commercially sensitive.
This means that releasing information that indicates the specific characteristics associated with these investments risks identifying the identity of the companies. The limitation prevents the Department for Business and Trade to publish further detail about the investments.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2023 to Question 1461 on Enterprise Zones, when he expects to receive the results of the next monitoring and evaluation of Freeports and Investment Zones.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Monitoring and Evaluation strategy, available on gov.uk, sets out how we will monitor and evaluate the impact of the UK Freeports programme. We will publish a report of our findings to date early next year in the UK Freeports annual report.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government why Northern Ireland was omitted from the Chancellor’s plan to create more freeports or ‘investment zones’ within the UK.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
We continue discussions about how best to deliver the benefits associated with Freeports and Investment Zones in Northern Ireland. Any decision will be subject to the restoration of an Executive.