Green Freeports Programme Board Meeting Seven Summary Minute: January 2025

Attendees and apologies

Present

Scottish Government (SG)

• Gregor Irwin, Director General (DG) Economy (co-chair)
• Richard Rollison, Director of International Trade and Investment
• Michelle Quinn, Interim DG Net Zero (Director of Offshore Wind)
• Colin MacBean, Deputy Director for Land and Environmental tax
• representative for Lewis Hedge, Deputy Director for Fair Work
• representative for Alison Irvine, CEO, Transport Scotland 
• Head of Green Freeports Policy and Delivery, Directorate of Economic Development (DED)
• Green Freeports Policy and Delivery Team Leaders, DED

UK Government (UKG)

• Jessica Blakely, UK Freeports Programme Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) Director (job share with Carmen Suarez), Major Programmes, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
• Iseabail MacTaggart, Deputy Director, Department for Business and Trade 
• representative for Patrick Moran, Deputy Director, Customs Unit, Business and International Tax Group, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• representative for Marion Ando and Chloe Evenson-McCarthy (jobshare), Deputy Director Tax, His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT)
• Head of Freeport Delivery, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, MHCLG
• acting UK Freeports Programme Director, MHCLG
• Freeports Delivery Lead – Scotland, MHCLG

Apologies

• Colin Cook, SRO for Green Freeports Programme, DED, SG
• Green Freeports Programme Director, SG
• Head of Energy Transition and De-Carbonisation Policy, SG
• Sean Neill, Director for Local Government & Housing, SG
• Will Garton, Co-Chair, DG for Local Growth, Communities and Devolution, MHCLG, UKG
• Henry Elks, Director, Investment Zones, Freeports and English Devolution, HMT
• Patrick Moran, Deputy Director, Customs Unit, Business and International Tax Group, HMRC
• Marion Ando and Chloe Evenson-McCarthy (jobshare), Deputy Director Tax, HMT
• Jonathan Donaghy, Deputy Director, Customs, HMT
• Harriet Wilkinson, Director, Home Office
• Laurence Rockey, Director, Scotland Office

Items and actions

Welcome

The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted the significant progress of the Green Freeports since the last meeting in April, including decisions taken by email.

Minutes

The minutes of 29 April 2024 meeting were approved without changes.

UK Freeports Programme Update

The acting UK Freeports Programme Director and the SG Green Freeport Unit Head gave a summary of ongoing UKG work on their Freeports policy. They noted that SG officials were kept informed of this throughout to make sure potential changes were appropriate for Scottish circumstances.

Terms of reference (ToR)

The SG Head of Green Freeports Policy provided a summary of the suggested changes to the terms of reference for the board. The changes include widening this board’s role to cover both Green Freeports and Investment Zones, and to reflect the move from set-up phase to delivery phase of the Green Freeports Programme.  

In discussion, it was noted:

• officials across the Green Freeport (GFP) and Investment Zones (IZs) teams in both governments worked together to update the ToR. This was done to make sure it works for both as the board’s role grows and GFPs move into delivery phase
• both programmes have similar goals and work with the same departments. Expanding this board’s role to include IZs will make better use of senior officials’ time and avoid repetition

Programme and Green Freeports progress update

The SG Head of Green Freeports Policy and UKG Head of Freeport Delivery provided gave an update on progress to date.