HC Deb 20 October 2003 vol 411 cc428-9W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of export sales growth in Northern Ireland's manufacturing companies in each of the next three years. [133340]

Mr. Pearson

There are no forecasts of Northern Ireland manufacturing export sales. However, between 1996–97 and 2001–02, manufacturing export sales increased by 45 per cent. in real terms. The Invest NI Corporate Plan and "Building on Progress—Priorities and Plans 2003–06" includes a target for the growth of export sales. The current target is for manufacturing export sales to increase by 10 per cent. each year in real terms between April 2002 and March 2005.

I am confident that a sustained global economic recovery will lead to an improvement in Northern Ireland's manufacturing performance. In that context, these challenging targets remain firm.