Northern Ireland City Deals Debate

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Department: Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland City Deals

Adam Jogee Excerpts
Wednesday 9th October 2024

(1 week ago)

Commons Chamber
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Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
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I very much enjoyed seeing the hon. Gentleman at the signing of the Derry/Londonderry and Strabane city deal—it was a great event. It is the responsibility of all of us in the House who have the interests of these two deals at heart to make representations to everyone who can influence the final decision.

Adam Jogee Portrait Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)
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The Secretary of State has talked about his engagement. Local authorities have a really important role to play in stimulating and facilitating growth, so can he keep local authorities in mind as he seeks to keep engaging, and as he ultimately gets us the solution that people want?

Hilary Benn Portrait Hilary Benn
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I certainly will do that, which is precisely why my next meeting on this matter will be with the chief executives of the two deal areas. They will no doubt tell me about the challenges they face at the moment, but it is the partnership that makes these deals so successful, as Belfast and Derry/Londonderry and Strabane demonstrate. By bringing together the United Kingdom, the Northern Ireland Executive, the local authorities and private investors, we get a synergy that results in extraordinary things.