HC Deb 19 May 2003 vol 405 cc596-7W
Mr. Gregory Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Government funding has been provided for research and development spending in the private sector in each Northern Ireland constituency over the last five years. [112352]

Mr. Pearson

Government funding in Northern Ireland to the private sector for research and development is channelled mainly through Invest NI. Since 1998–99, some £37,757,019 has been provided by Invest NI (and prior to its formation in 2002 by its predecessor bodies) to support research and development activities in the private sector. This is detailed by constituency in the following table. This funding has been made available against total commitments over the period by Invest NI (and its predecessor bodies) of some £62,735,441, and has primarily been aimed at supporting commercially focussed research projects and the development of an improved research infrastructure.

£
Total Spend
Parliamentary Constituency 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Grand Total
Strangford 204,558 158,440 144,923 129,206 195,920 833,047
Upper Bann 574,328 303,860 199,979 71,070 474,919 1,624,156
West Tyrone 184,034 320,035 240,697 160,208 289,521 1,194,495
Grand Total 12,693,288 7,042,861 5,225,251 5,777,174 7,041,445 137,780,019
1Includes £23,000 Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure funding