Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 38618 on Freeports, whether trade unions participants in freeports governance will be subject to the same responsibilities and duties as ordinary board members.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The specific responsibilities and duties of Freeport board members are stipulated by the relevant articles of association/terms of reference for the Freeport Board and are for individual Freeports to define, giving due regard to relevant government guidance.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39870 on Freeports: Finance, what the budgeted (a) capital and (b) resource funding is for freeports in 2025-26.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Departmental budgets for 2025-26 will not be formally confirmed until the Main Estimate has been approved by Parliament.
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, if she will take steps to develop a rural economic strategy that provides regional funding for rural communities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK Government is committed to supporting economic growth across the UK, including in our rural communities. Through the Plan for Change programme, we are working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure Wales can benefit from future investment and support. Our focus will be on working closely with the Welsh Government to inform their strategies and plans for rural communities in Wales. The UK Government is supporting through programmes like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Freeports and Investment Zones, which collectively aim to target growth and investment across Wales.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking to reduce economic inactivity in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we have committed £240m of investment towards sixteen trailblazers to test new and innovative ways to support people into work and tackle the root causes of inactivity, including one in Wales. My department has been working in close partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Welsh Government to co-develop and deliver the trailblazer in Wales.
Since coming into government, I have worked with UK and Welsh Government colleagues to drive over £1.5 billion in private investment from Eren Holding and Kellogg’s, creating and sustaining over 400 jobs. Wales is also set to benefit from a £250 million investment from one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers which is expected to support over 500 high value jobs and hundreds more through the wider supply chain. In addition, we will support tens of thousands of new jobs through our Welsh Investment Zones and Freeports.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) capital and (b) resource funding was allocated to freeports (i) in 2024-25 and (ii) as of 20 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
At the Supplementary Estimate, £68.3m Capital DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limits) funding for 2024-25 has been agreed via the Reserve for the Freeports programmes. The department funded £4.3m Resource DEL for the Freeports programme for 2024-25.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 34283 on Freeports: Trade Unions, whether freeport boards members are subject to a similar fiduciary duty.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Freeport boards have a clear and specific remit for delivering the public policy objectives of the Freeports Programme and the resultant responsibilities of individual board members (both full members and observers) are defined in articles of association, where the Freeport is incorporated, or terms of reference for the board, where it is not.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025, to Question 28309 on Freeports: Trade Unions, whether freeport board members are subject to fiduciary duty to shareholders.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Freeports are either incorporated as Companies Limited by Guarantee or sit within the governance structures of a Mayoral Combined Authority; in either case, they do not have shareholders. Freeport boards have a clear and specific remit for delivering the public policy objectives of the Freeports Programme and the resultant responsibilities of individual board members (both full members and observers) are defined in articles of association, where the Freport is incorporated, or terms of reference for the board, where it is not.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to introduce union representation onto freeport boards.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Freeports can play an important role in achieving our number one priority – economic growth – by attracting investment and creating jobs in former industrial heartlands across the UK. That is why the government confirmed it is backing the Freeports Programme in October 2024. We are, however, working closely with Freeports to review progress to date and how to best align the Programme with this government’s growth strategy. We will provide further details on these changes in due course.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her policy is on business rate relief in (a) freeports, (b) investment zones and (b) legacy enterprise zones; and how that relief will apply to the new business rate multiplier on hereditaments over £500,000 rateable value.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Freeports, Investment Zones and Enterprise Zones have access to a range of tax reliefs, including 100 per cent business rates relief. The eligibility criteria for business rates relief in Freeports and Enterprise Zones is available online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief, as well as guidance for local authorities on granting Investment Zone business rate relief: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-zones-business-rates-relief-scheme-guidance-for-local-authorities/investment-zone-business-rates-relief-local-authority-guidance.
The Government has announced its intention to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we intend to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a Rateable Value of £500,000 and above. When calculating business rates liabilities, the multiplier is applied first and then reliefs are applied after. This means that eligible businesses in these areas will receive 100 per cent business rates relief on their liability under the new multipliers.
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, what recent progress her Department has made on reviewing the outline business case for Anglesey Freeport; and whether she plans to make a decision on this in 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Officials have been working with the Freeport and with the Welsh Government to take forward the Freeport’s business case and we will be in a position to provide further updates shortly.