REGENERATION OF COASTAL COMMUNITIES

That this House notes the Government's commitment to developing a new industrial strategy and building an economy that works for everyone; further notes that coastal communities experience among the highest levels of deprivation in Britain and Northern Ireland; believes that revitalising coastal communities demands a new approach to making sustainable use of the marine environment by developing industries, such as small-scale sustainable fishing, renewable energy, aquaculture and tourism, in ways that put local people in control; commends the creativity and energy shown by community initiatives across the coast in regenerating their local economies; further believes that these initiatives need the support of government; welcomes the New Economics Foundation's Blue New Deal Action Plan which has been developed in consultation with hundreds of coastal stakeholders from across the country; and calls on the government to implement a Blue New Deal, including a dedicated Coastal Transformation Fund, to invest in coastal infrastructure and support community enterprise.