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Infrastructure tour launches in Essex

4 Jun 19

Treasury Minister Robert Jenrick has launched a national infrastructure tour allowing people to give feedback on local infrastructure needs.

On the infrastructure tour, the Minister will ask leaders for their views on the kinds of infrastructure needed at a local level and call for final responses to the Treasury’s consultation. The tour will feed into the UK’s first-of-a-kind national infrastructure strategy – announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond at last year’s Budget – which will be published alongside this year’s Spending Review.

The Strategy will provide a response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s National Infrastructure Assessment, and set out the government’s long-term plan. The Minister’s first stop is Ørsted’s Gunfleet Sands Offshore Windfarm in Essex, to see how the UK’s offshore wind is helping create jobs in the area.

Robert Jenrick, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “We are investing record amounts in our infrastructure.”

“But as we build on this impressive record, it is important to let people across the country have their say. Together we can ensure our infrastructure is fit for the future and serves people’s needs.”

“Every region in the UK has a key role to play in boosting productivity and prosperity, therefore I am looking forward to hearing from businesses of all sizes and local communities as part of this tour.”

This follows the Minister’s UK-wide tour of business innovation in 2018, which looked at efforts to tackle the productivity gap and how infrastructure could help play its part. The Infrastructure Finance Review will inform both the 2019 Spending Review and the upcoming National Infrastructure Strategy.

The government is also consulting on how best to support private investment in infrastructure, to help infrastructure projects access to finance after the UK leaves the EU. The consultation closes on 5 June, allowing companies to provide comment on government policy.