Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that as economic recovery takes hold proportionately more inward investment will be directed to areas beyond the South East.

Michael Fallon

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has overall responsibility within Government for the attraction and retention of foreign direct investment across the UK. UKTI works in partnership with each of the Local Enterprise Partnerships in England, and through representatives of each of the Devolved Administrations and London, to maximise the potential of the UK to attract inward investment. UKTI operates under the “UK First” principle, providing foreign investors with all the information and advice necessary to ensure that the UK is the preferred global location for their investment.

UKTI is supporting cross-government efforts to rebalance the economy in line with the Government’s Industrial Strategy. For example, UKTI focuses on promoting the UK’s strengths in industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing and food and drink, where the opportunities for the UK to compete for foreign direct investment projects are often in areas beyond the South East. In 2012/13, UKTI recorded a total of 1,599 inward investment projects won for the UK including 67 projects in Wales, 38 projects in Northern Ireland, 111 projects in Scotland, 759 projects in England (excluding London) and 584 projects in London.