§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits have been made under the auspices of(a) Invest Northern Ireland and (b) the IDB by potential inward investors to the East Londonderry constituency; and how many jobs have been created in the past five years in the constituency. [113779]
§ Mr. PearsonBetween 1997–98 and 2001–02, IDE arranged for a total of 22 visits to be made to the East Londonderry constituency by potential investors. In Invest NI's first year of operation (2002–03), it introduced eight potential investors to the constituency.
The following table provides information on jobs created in IDE client companies in East Londonderry during the five years 1997–98 to 2001–02. Figures are not yet available for 2002–03.
Jobs created in East Londonderry 1997–98 1,103 1998–99 309 1999–2000 360 2000–01 343 2001–02 253 Total 2,368 Invest NI's overseas sales and marketing activities present the business opportunity for Northern Ireland as a whole. However, in seeking to encourage the development of regional propositions, Invest NI's Local Office in Coleraine has been working closely with local stakeholders to ensure that the proposition for the East Londonderry area is maximised fully to attract visits by potential investors and result in the securing of new investment for the area.