§ 4. Mr. Rhodes Jamesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the anticipated annual cost of the new management centre in Northern Ireland.
§ The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. Adam Butler)At this early stage it is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of this important initiative. The centre's marketable services are, however, expected to be self-financing.
§ Mr. Rhodes JamesI thank my hon. Friend for that reply and for the Government initiative, which I welcome warmly, but will he assure us that the higher education institutions in Northern Ireland will still have a major role to play in management services?
§ Mr. ButlerI am aware of my hon. Friend's interest in this subject. He is expressing anxieties that were shared at the time of the launch. I give the assurance that I gave then—the new centre is intended, not to cut across what the present providers are doing, but to complement that work.