Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the amount of foreign direct investment in the North of England.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Northern Powerhouse (NPH) Investment Taskforce, established in 2016 after consultation with partners in the north, undertakes three primary activities: its 5 sector specialists research and collate the commercial strengths of the north and showcase these to target investors; it briefs DIT’s network in 108 countries on these NPH strengths, through webinars and inward visits, so the network can talk knowledgeably and passionately about the NPH with investors; and it supports existing foreign investors in growing their business in the UK by providing a framework and funding for local partners to key account manage companies which are not already on DIT’s key account management framework.