HC Deb 01 July 1982 vol 26 c378W
15. Dr. Mawhinney

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make an assessment of the effect on private sector investment of continuing political instability in the Province.

Mr. Adam Butler

Many people perceive Northern Ireland as a region of the United Kingdom suffering from political instability as well as from terrorist violence.

However exaggerated or misconceived such perception may be, I have no doubt at all that it seriously reduces the potential for new private sector investment, and is a major obstacle in the way of our industrial development effort.

It is, of course, difficult to give a precise assessment of this effect, because there are other factors involved; but I believe that there is a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the people of the Province, and particularly of the locally-elected politicians, to work constructively and urgently to create a more settled political environment.