Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps are being taken as part of the long-term programme that has been developed to reposition Salisbury after the Novichok attack last year; and what the objectives of that programme are.

The Department is supporting the aspiration of Wiltshire Council to move the narrative away from the incidents and decontamination activity and look to the future for the city and South Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council are in the early stages of developing a longer-term strategy to further promote recovery and ensure the sustainability of growth in Salisbury and South Wiltshire. Visitor numbers need to be supported to increase to pre-incident levels and wider support and investment in Salisbury and across South Wiltshire is needed to ensure the area retains its status an attractive location for tourists, businesses and investors.

The strategy will focus on local community and wellbeing; economy and regeneration; infrastructure, tourism and culture, with key elements expected to help inform the wider Swindon and Wiltshire Local Industrial Strategy which will be published by March 2020.