Business: Capital Investment
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has evaluated whether economic activity in Freeports, Special Economic Zones, Investment Zones, and Industrial Strategy Zones represents net new investment or relocation of existing activity within the UK.
Answered by Nesil Caliskan
The Modern Industrial Strategy published in June 2025 will increase business investment and grow the industries of the future in the UK. Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs) are the UK’s primary place-based growth interventions, I will therefore refer to ISZs when answering your questions:
There are 22 ISZs in delivery across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland comprising nine Freeports, ten Investment Zones (IZs) and three regions with both a Freeport and IZ. We do not hold information on the total land area they cover, however, maps of Investment Zones can be found here and maps of Freeports can be found here.
ISZs do not operate under separate legal regimes. Businesses must comply with all applicable UK laws, standards and protections, including on workers’ rights, as reflected in programme guidance and funding agreements.
Each ISZ has a named public authority which acts as its accountable body, ensuring the transparent functioning of the ISZ and the proper management of public funding. Oversight and transparency has been strengthened further through the Industrial Strategy Zones Action Plan, including greater mayoral oversight in England and the publication of Freeport board minutes.
The Government will publish an evaluation in due course.
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