§ Lord Eamesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to encourage investment and increased employment opportunities in County Armagh. [HL1973]
§ Lord DubsFor the immediate future, Government will be continuing with their extensive range of economic development measures; measures aimed at the promotion of investment and employment in County Armagh as elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
County Armagh has benefited from these measures in the past, for example:
- (i) over the past five years. Industrial Development Board (IDB) supported projects have promoted 2,170 new jobs;
- (ii) the Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) assisted some 110 new businesses in 1997–98;
- (iii) through its local offices in Lurgan, Portadown and Armagh, the Training and Employment
WA 20 Agency (T&EA) has found employment for over 3,800 people in 1997–98; - (iv) since 1989 over £7.7 million has been provided by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board for tourism projects;
- (v) since 1991 total investment of £7.225 million in community initiatives has been supported by the Department of Agriculture under the Rural Development Programme.