The Government is committed to coastal communities and levelling-up across the UK. Our coastal economies and communities add unique value to the country and offer significant growth potential.

Seven out of the eight English Freeports are in coastal areas. Furthermore, the UK and the Scottish Government recently confirmed that Opportunity Inverness and Cromarty Firth and the Firth and Forth were successful in their bids to establish new Green Freeports, and we will shortly be announcing the outcome of the Freeport competition in Wales. Through a broad package of policy incentives – encompassing generous tax reliefs, public funding for infrastructure upgrades, and government support – Freeports will catalyse investment into coastal communities and drive job creation, including in maritime industries. The Government is working closely with the Welsh Government on this programme.

22 coastal towns are in receipt of Town Deals, and coastal areas will benefit from over £673 million of investment via the Towns Fund. The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund will unlock further economic growth in coastal communities with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the fund. Further funding was allocated today via the Levelling Up Fund Round 2, details of which were set out by written ministerial statement.

The Department for Transport recently announced £206 million for the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) marking the biggest government investment ever in our commercial maritime sector.

Yes. Every time I visit Wales, I am continually impressed by the superb advocacy that Conservative MPs bring to bear for their communities, not least in Ynys Môn. I look forward to making that visit, I hope, early in the new year after the levelling-up fund bids will have been confirmed.

My department is committed to supporting coastal communities flourish, strengthening their appeal as places to live, work and visit.

Through our Coastal Communities Fund, which ran until this year, we supported a huge number of projects in communities across the country, with a total investment of £187 million. We recently published the evaluation which showed how it stimulated job growth and prosperity in those areas.

Coastal communities continue to receive investment from our funding programmes, including 22 places that are receiving Town Deals collectively worth over £673 million. The Levelling Up Fund offers investment opportunities for coastal communities to promote regeneration and build vital infrastructure. The £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund - where growing the private sector in localities is a core objective - is being delivered through an allocative process that reaches every part of the UK.