Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on communities that previously benefited from funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, but which will no longer receive funding following the decision to end that fund and replace it with the Local Growth Fund.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
At the Spending Review in 2025, the Government confirmed that we would protect funding for interventions that drive growth and strengthen communities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the next three years, keeping it at the same overall level in cash terms as under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in the current year.
As part of this approach MHCLG is working with the Scotland Office to design a new £140m Local Growth Fund for Scotland, delivering a significant step change in UK investment strategy, supporting each nation and region to deliver long-term infrastructure for sustained economic growth.
The Local Growth Fund forms part of a broader suite of interventions and was never designed to replicate UKSPF on a like‑for‑like basis. It sits alongside other investments such as the Growth Mission Fund, the Pride in Place Impact Fund and the Pride in Place Programme which is helping build strong, resilient and integrated communities in areas that experience the most entrenched social and economic challenges.
In addition to this package of funding announced at the Spending Review, Scotland will also benefit from around £700m of other local and regional project funding over the next three years through: the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, Pride in Place Programme Phase 1, Green Freeports, Investment Zones, Community Regeneration Partnerships, the Local Regeneration Fund and City Region and Growth Deals.
Alongside this, the UK Government has provided the Scottish Government with the largest Block Grant in the history of devolution which can be used flexibly for devolved governments’ priorities.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to table SoPS 1.2 of his Department's annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025, if he will publish a breakdown of the Gross Outturn and Income of CDEL in the Local Growth and Devolution Estimate Line in financial year 2024-25.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Please see table below for a breakdown of the gross outturn and income expenditure streams of the requested estimate row for CDEL.
Estimate Row | Main Expenditure Streams | Gross | Income | Net |
Communities DEL Estimate Rows | 24/25 | £k | £k | £k |
C: Local Growth and Devolution CDEL |
| 787,168 | - | 787,168 |
| 503,113 | - | 503,113 | |
| 431,579 | - | 431,579 | |
| 343,438 | - | 343,438 | |
| 246,760 | -246,760 | 0 | |
| 152,500 | - | 152,500 | |
| 143,610 | - | 143,610 | |
| 141,676 | - | 141,676 | |
| 103,286 | - | 103,286 | |
| 84,083 | - | 84,083 | |
| 81,266 | - | 81,266 | |
| 99,839 | -1,719 | 98,120 | |
Total | 3,118,318 | -248,479 | 2,869,839 |
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
This Government is investing to unlock growth, create jobs and improve the cost of living.
We are creating thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales. This includes huge investment into new nuclear power in Wylfa, two new AI Growth Zones, a Defence Growth Deal, two Freeports, two Investment Zones, and investment into our semiconductor sector in South Wales.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Modern Industrial Strategy applies equally to rural areas.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Industrial Strategy focuses efforts on the city regions and clusters across the UK where the growth-driving sectors are concentrated, including in rural areas.
The Strategy introduces targeted measures in rural areas such as enhanced support for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth and Anglesey freeports specialising in Clean Energy Industries and a regional skills pilot to deliver clean power in Aberdeenshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire.
Alongside this, all regions and nations across the UK benefit from the Industrial Strategy’s national policy offer, which addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by businesses.
Asked by: Lord Allen of Kensington (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of the 12 freeports in the UK; and what future impact they expect the freeports to achieve within the current Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
UK Freeports have played an important role in building the foundations for long-term regional and national growth and, alongside Investment Zones, they will be pivotal tools for delivering growth in the government’s priority sectors under the shared identity ‘Industrial Strategy Zones’.
As set out in the UK Freeports Programme Report (June 2025), Freeports have attracted £6.4 billion in private investment, with 89% of this total investment coming from overseas investors, demonstrating the international competitiveness of Freeports.
To assess the future economic impact of Freeports, MHCLG commissioned Arup to conduct analysis. This projected that the eight English Freeports would create around 60,000 net new jobs and support an additional 42,000 jobs across the supply chain, contributing approximately £6.6 billion per year in GVA. Further analysis is being undertaken, the results of which will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they will provide to existing strategic industrial complexes as part of the delivery of the industrial strategy.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
Regional growth is a core objective of the Industrial Strategy. We will bring forward more investible sites and support city regions and clusters to attract private investment.
The Strategy reiterates our support for existing Freeports and Investment Zones. These "Industrial Strategy Zones" have huge potential, especially in key sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, life sciences, digitally enabled creative industries and defence.
Alongside the Industrial Strategy, we published an Action Plan setting out how we will enhance all our Industrial Strategy Zones with better-targeted investment promotion, support for accessing concessionary finance, and coordinated support on skills.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the value of the Local Growth Fund for Wales was reduced from £633million to £547million.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Government is working with the Welsh Government to develop and implement a new Local Growth Fund, which is part of a wider targeted, long-term approach to regional growth across the UK. Under this approach, funding for Wales will remain at the same overall level in cash terms as under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2025-26. Taken alongside Wales’ four City and Regional Growth Deals, Investment Zones and Freeports, this represents a significant investment to boost growth and create jobs across Wales.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms are in place to ensure effective public and local authority oversight of freeports and their ongoing development.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.
To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help improve public transparency and local awareness of the implications of freeports.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.
To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of freeports and special economic zones on UK inward investment trends.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Freeports and Investment Zones, now integrated as Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), are delivering strong results for UK inward investment, supporting the government's number one priority – economic growth.
They have attracted over £6.4 billion in private investment to date, including Siemens Gamesa's £186 million wind turbine factory in the Humber and Nissan's £1.12 billion investment in the Northeast Investment Zone.
Over their lifetime, ISZs are projected to generate over £60 billion of private investment, with a focus on the high-growth sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy. Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation of ISZs will track progress and impact against this projection.