Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Freeports

Tuesday 27 April 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister announced the location of eight freeports in England at the Budget.
  • Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is leading efforts to support freeport establishment.
  • Paul Holmes highlighted a 2017 report suggesting freeports could create up to 90,000 jobs.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Business & Trade Local Government
Context

The establishment of freeports was a topic of discussion, with a highly competitive process to determine their locations.

Question

What progress his Department has made on the establishment of freeports. At the Budget, I announced the location of eight freeports in eight regions of England following a highly competitive process. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is now leading a cross-Government effort to support the winning bidders to establish their freeport, and we expect the first freeports to open later this year.

Answer from Rishi Sunak

At the Budget, I announced the location of eight freeports in eight regions of England following a highly competitive process. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is now leading a cross-Government effort to support the winning bidders to establish their freeport, and we expect the first freeports to open later this year.

Answered
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Q2 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Employment Business & Trade
Context

A report in 2017 found that freeports could create up to 90,000 jobs if as successful as US foreign trade zones. The questioner referenced the Labour party's vote against the Finance Bill and setting up of freeports earlier this month.

Question

My right hon. Friend authored a report in 2017, which found that freeports could easily create up to 90,000 jobs if they were as successful as the US foreign trade zone programme. Does he agree that, by voting against our Finance Bill and the setting up of freeports earlier this month, such as the Solent freeport near my constituency, the Labour party has shown that it has no interest in creating jobs and levelling up opportunity across the country, as this Government are committed to doing?

Answer from Rishi Sunak

My hon. Friend is absolutely right and I congratulate everyone involved in the Solent freeport bid. This Government are using freeports to boost jobs, investment, trade and growth. Local communities, from Merseyside to Teesside, Humber and indeed the Solent, all agree with us and it is a shame that the Labour party does not support their aspirations.

Not addressed: The specific question about whether the government agrees with the statement about Labour's opposition was avoided by praising local communities' support for freeports instead of directly addressing the criticism of Labour.

How: Changed Subject To Praise Local Communities

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