Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Conclusion 5
2nd Report - Freeports and Wales
Published 8 May 2020
Paragraph 46
Addressed to Wales Office
Welsh Affairs Committee Freeports and Wales All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The nature of ports means that the economic gains that accrue from their activities are often felt nationally while port communities themselves remain among the poorest parts of the country. If freeports are to make a lasting contribution to ‘levelling up’ the poorest regions and nations, freeport bids should be assessed for the additional economic and social gains envisaged for the communities nearby.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, 2nd Report - Freeports and Wales (HC 205), paragraph 46, 8 May 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 July 2020 (deadline 8 July 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government thanks the Committee and says it is analysing responses to its Freeports consultation, to which it will respond "in due course", while setting out its aims for Freeports across the UK including Wales.
- On the call for more detail on the economic potential of Freeports and lessons from earlier schemes, the government "notes this recommendation" and says it "will be considered" as part of its consultation response.
- On Welsh bids and any cap on Freeports in Wales, the government says it is "committed to Freeports that work for the whole of the UK" and is working on an allocation process meeting the aims set out in the consultation.
- On the bidding process, the government says the allocation process and criteria "will be published in due course", and that it encourages bids from a wide range of stakeholders including consortiums.
- On customs and infrastructure, it says the consultation sets out the customs arrangements needed at a Freeport and that it will set out "more detail in due course". It also says it is working with stakeholders across Wales.