HC Deb 12 March 2004 vol 418 c1754W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments have been made to British Airways for the setting up of a call centre in Belfast; and whether such payments are still being made. [160220]

Mr. Pearson

British Airways operates a contact BA call centre in central Belfast which was expanded in 1998 with an offer of selective financial assistance from the then NI Industrial Development Board (IDB) totalling £512,000 for the creation of 65 new jobs.

On 18 February 2004, British Airways announced that the Belfast call centre would create a further 48 new jobs. This latest expansion has not attracted selective financial assistance from Invest NI (the successor body to IDB).

Owing to a policy of commercial confidentiality on information relating to specific companies, it would be inappropriate to disclose information about the amounts actually paid to British Airways.