§ 11. Mr. StevensTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current levels of inward investment into Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. NeedhamDuring the past financial year, the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland secured 13 inward investment projects, representing an investment of £9.9 million. Those projects are expected to create 1,294 jobs.
§ Mr. StevensI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply. I know that he appreciates the importance of infrastructure improvements to stimulate and encourage inward investment. Now that European Community funds are available to assist in that process, what success did our right hon. Friend the Secretary of State have in his dealings with Commissioner Millan over his request for support for the gas and electricity interconnectors from the mainland to Northern Ireland, which would reduce energy costs in the Province?
§ Mr. NeedhamAs my hon. Friend would expect, my right hon. Friend had considerable success in his negotiations with Commissioner Millan, who agreed in principle to help to fund those two crucially important infrastructure developments. I am delighted that, as a 987 result of the Government's privatisation proposals, the outlook for Northern Ireland's electricity consumers is better than ever.