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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons the Government has entered into partnership with DP World to run Thames Freeport given its criticism of the business in 2022.

Businesses operating in Freeports are subject to the same UK employment laws and protections as they would be elsewhere in the country, including the Seafarers' Wages Bill which received Royal Assent on 23 March 2023 and will make access to UK ports conditional on operators of regular services demonstrating that they will be paying at least an equivalent rate to the UK National Minimum Wage whilst in UK waters.