Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has for funding for coastal communities.

The Government is committed to coastal communities and levelling-up across the UK. Our coastal economies and communities add unique value to the country and offer significant growth potential.

Seven out of the eight English Freeports are in coastal areas. Furthermore, the UK and the Scottish Government recently confirmed that Opportunity Inverness and Cromarty Firth and the Firth and Forth were successful in their bids to establish new Green Freeports, and we will shortly be announcing the outcome of the Freeport competition in Wales. Through a broad package of policy incentives – encompassing generous tax reliefs, public funding for infrastructure upgrades, and government support – Freeports will catalyse investment into coastal communities and drive job creation, including in maritime industries. The Government is working closely with the Welsh Government on this programme.

22 coastal towns are in receipt of Town Deals, and coastal areas will benefit from over £673 million of investment via the Towns Fund. The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund will unlock further economic growth in coastal communities with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the fund. Further funding was allocated today via the Levelling Up Fund Round 2, details of which were set out by written ministerial statement.

The Department for Transport recently announced £206 million for the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) marking the biggest government investment ever in our commercial maritime sector.