Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Freeports

Wednesday 23 November 2022 · 3 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Virginia Crosbie inquired about steps being taken with Cabinet colleagues to support the development of freeports in Wales.
  • Virginia Crosbie thanked those supporting Anglesey's freeport bid and noted that a freeport in Wales aligns with the Conservative manifesto's levelling up commitment.
  • Hywel Williams questioned the Secretary of State about providing a precise or speculative estimate of job creation figures for a potential freeport in Wales.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Virginia Crosbie
Wales Business & Trade
Context

The development of freeports in Wales has been a subject of discussion and bids have been made.

Question

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the development of freeports in Wales?

Answer from David Davies

I met officials from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last week to discuss this very subject, and I feel confident that there are going to be several high-quality bids from Wales. The bidding process closes tomorrow at 6 pm, and I look forward to the announcement being made early in 2023.

Answered
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Q2 Virginia Crosbie
Wales Business & Trade
Context

The development of a freeport in Wales is seen as fulfilling the Conservative Party's manifesto pledge.

Question

I welcome the Secretary of State to his place—croeso. Will he join me in thanking all those who support Anglesey's bid to become a freeport, and does he agree that a freeport in Wales delivers on our Conservative manifesto commitment and will strengthen Wales's bond with the UK Government and our important Union?

Answer from David Davies

I am absolutely delighted to agree with my hon. Friend, and indeed to thank all those who have been involved in freeport bids across the whole of Wales. Freeports have the potential to spread wealth across the areas in which they are established, they deliver on the Government's commitment to level up and they are an example of the benefits of Wales being a part of the Union. I would like to congratulate my hon. Friend, who has spoken on this issue on 26 occasions, and I look forward to that announcement being made in February.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments or actions beyond general agreement

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Q3 Hywel Williams PC
Employment Business & Trade
Context

There have been claims about job creation as a result of establishing freeports, specifically in Holyhead.

Question

We have seen many claims about the number of jobs that will be created in Holyhead. Can the Secretary of State give me a precise assessment or even a wild guess as to how many jobs will be created, how many of them will be new and how many will be merely transferred from other areas?

Answer from David Davies

I have certain powers as Secretary of State, but the powers of absolute clairvoyance are not among them. Therefore, I find it rather difficult to give an exact figure for the number of jobs that would be created as a result of any one of the many projects that the Government are doing to level up across the United Kingdom. What I can tell the hon. Member is that, where freeports have been trialled in Humber and Teesside, they have created thousands of new jobs, and I look forward to seeing something similar happen no matter where a freeport is established in Wales.

Not addressed: Providing precise job figures or estimates for Holyhead

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