Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support officials in his Department have provided to the Tees Valley Mayor in discussions with investors on the takeover of PD Ports’ facilities in the Tees Freeport.
Answered by Steve Barclay
Officials in HMT routinely meet with representatives of Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Authorities as a core part of their work. The TVCA presented information to Treasury officials regarding PD Ports’ facilities on two occasions in September last year. Treasury officials did not provide any support regarding this matter.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the publicly-owned sea ports which are included within the eight freeports announced as part of Budget 2021.
Answered by Steve Barclay
At Budget, the Chancellor announced 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus. The locations are:
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish more information on the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the participants in each freeport announced in the Budget statement on 3 March 2021; and if he will publish the bid document for each.
Answered by Steve Barclay
At Budget, the Chancellor announced 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus. The locations are:
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish more information on the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that employment law is enforceable for all employees within the freeports announced in the Government's Budget 2021 on 3 March 2021.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The government is pleased to have announced the locations of 8 new English Freeports at Budget, including Solent. These new Freeports will create jobs in deprived communities across the country
Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to workers’ rights will not be compromised.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what specific changes have been made to the criteria for assessing freeport bids to take account of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on (a) the economy and (b) employment.
Answered by Steve Barclay
Specific locations were chosen in a fair, open and transparent allocation process, as set out in the Bidding Prospectus.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish the rationale behind the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether employers within freeports will be required to recognise trades unions for collective bargaining purposes.
Answered by Steve Barclay
I can confirm that the same rules and regulations regarding trade unions which apply across the UK will apply within Freeports.
Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised.
There is no deregulatory agenda in Freeports. Businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for the transference of jobs to the new HMT economic campus in the North of England.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The plan for the Darlington economic campus is to base at least 750 roles from across HM Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office for National Statistics will be based at the Darlington economic campus. It is the Treasury’s policy that all relocations will be voluntary and, following the announcement the campus will be based in Darlington, we are consulting all Treasury staff on the establishment of the new office, including voluntary relocation. We will be filling roles through both voluntary relocation and direct recruitment and the mixture of the two will be determined through this process. The new office will include a range of roles and levels of seniority, including senior Civil Servants. The Darlington economic campus will have a phased opening and will be fully operational by the end of this Parliament.Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consultation his Department undertook before Budget 2021 with officials that are to be transferred from London to the new economic campus in the North of England; and whether that consultation is complete.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The plan for the Darlington economic campus is to base at least 750 roles from across HM Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office for National Statistics will be based at the Darlington economic campus. It is the Treasury’s policy that all relocations will be voluntary and, following the announcement the campus will be based in Darlington, we are consulting all Treasury staff on the establishment of the new office, including voluntary relocation. We will be filling roles through both voluntary relocation and direct recruitment and the mixture of the two will be determined through this process. The new office will include a range of roles and levels of seniority, including senior Civil Servants. The Darlington economic campus will have a phased opening and will be fully operational by the end of this Parliament.Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of jobs at the his Department's new economic campus in the North of England are planned to be filled by staff transferring from London; and what the (a) level and (b) range of seniority is of those jobs that are planned to be transferred.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The plan for the Darlington economic campus is to base at least 750 roles from across HM Treasury, the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Office for National Statistics will be based at the Darlington economic campus. It is the Treasury’s policy that all relocations will be voluntary and, following the announcement the campus will be based in Darlington, we are consulting all Treasury staff on the establishment of the new office, including voluntary relocation. We will be filling roles through both voluntary relocation and direct recruitment and the mixture of the two will be determined through this process. The new office will include a range of roles and levels of seniority, including senior Civil Servants. The Darlington economic campus will have a phased opening and will be fully operational by the end of this Parliament.Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the national minimum wage will apply in freeports.
Answered by Steve Barclay
I can confirm that the national minimum wage will apply in Freeports.
Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised.
That means businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.