COBAIN ASKS DODDS - WHY IS INI SPEND IN NORTH BELFAST ONLY 27% OF ITS SPEND IN
Fred Cobain MLA, Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for North Belfast, has called on Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds to step up Invest Northern Ireland (INI) investment in North Belfast.
“INI is investing only £332 per head of population in North Belfast. This compares to £1,220 in South Belfast, £1,018 in East Belfast, £773 in Foyle, £670 in Upper Bann and £595 in neighbouring East Antrim. The Northern Ireland average is £439 per head and North Belfast is receiving, therefore, just 75% of the average.”
“How does Nigel Dodds expect the cycle of deprivation ever to be lifted from North Belfast if there is not to be some serious investment by INI, for which he is responsible, in this constituency?”
“In North Belfast INI is spending just 27% of what it spends in South Belfast. How can that be justified ?”
“North Belfast is strategically situated, close to the port of Belfast, beside a first rate road infrastructure, close to a University with top rate research facilities, with easy access to the Province’s two airports and with serious economic development potential. The Executive must target help primarily at those areas where the deprivation is worst. Those are the areas which need most help.”
“So I say to Nigel Dodds – get a move on and push up the level of investment per head of the population which INI puts into North Belfast. The complacency of this Executive worries me. It is time we began to see some action which made a difference to people’s lives.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
(AQW 2086/08) Invest NI Mr N Dodds: The table below presents assistance per head of adult population offered to businesses by parliamentary constituencyIt should be noted that parliamentary constituency areas are not self-contained labour markets. A project assisted in a particular location has the potential to create benefits across a much wider area. Northern Ireland is a relatively small place and evidence indicates that many investments draw their workforce from areas beyond constituency and council area boundaries. In addition, Invest NI has limited scope for ‘directing’ investment to specific geographic areas. Although it has been able to influence the location decisions of some inward-investment projects, the final location decision rests with the business.
Invest NI Parliamentary Constituency Area Assistance per Head (2002/03 - 2006/07)
Parliamentary Constituency
ASSISTANCE PER HEAD (£)
BELFAST EAST
1,018
BELFAST NORTH
332
BELFAST SOUTH
1,220
BELFAST WEST
383
EAST ANTRIM
595
EAST LONDONDERRY
339
FERMANAGH AND SOUTH TYRONE
326
FOYLE
773
LAGAN VALLEY
242
MID ULSTER
355
NEWRY AND ARMAGH
288
NORTH ANTRIM
245
NORTH DOWN
167
SOUTH ANTRIM
480
SOUTH DOWN
163
STRANGFORD
119
UPPER BANN
670
WEST TYRONE
274
NORTHERN IRELAND
439