Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Conclusion 14
2nd Report - Freeports and Wales
Published 8 May 2020
Paragraph 76
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)
If the UK Government is committed to establishing freeports across the UK then there remain questions that need to be answered. These questions include: • How will the UK Government work with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations in ensuring that freeports can be successfully established and integrated in the local, as well as national, economy? • What role should consortiums and public sector bodies play in the bidding process and delivery of freeports? • What additional hard and technological infrastructure will be required as a result of freeports? • What additional customs arrangements will need to be in place at freeports? Freeports and Wales 25 • How will the UK Government ensure that any jobs or economic growth generated by freeports is new and not the result of economic displacement from other locations in the UK? • Are there other policies that could be pursued which would deliver more meaningful economic development for regions across the UK?
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, 2nd Report - Freeports and Wales (HC 205), paragraph 76, 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.