Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What steps his Department is taking to strengthen Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has always stressed the importance of the Union. This year is the centenary of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as we know it today, and the Government is committed to levelling up across all four nations of the UK.
The £400m New Deal and the £562m in City and Growth Deals will boost economic growth, with Deals covering the whole of Northern Ireland. This includes the Derry-Londonderry and Strabane City Deal that the Government signed Heads of Terms for in February.
Northern Ireland will also benefit from the Community Renewal Fund, the Levelling Up Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We will continue working tirelessly for our family of nations going forward.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment his Department has had made of the adequacy of the economic support available for Northern Irish businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Robin Walker
The pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to the Northern Ireland economy and to the UK as a whole. Throughout the crisis the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and livelihoods.
We have taken robust action to support individuals and businesses in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland businesses and individuals have benefited from UK-wide support schemes and policies, including the Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, the 5% reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector, and government backed loan schemes, such as Bounce Back Loans and the Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
Around one in four jobs in Northern Ireland have been supported by the UK Government’s employment support package, with around 250,000 people benefiting from the furlough scheme and almost 80,000 self-employed supported through SEISS. In addition, £1.3bn in government-backed loans has been issued to almost 35,000 businesses in Northern Ireland.
The UK Government has also provided £3 billion in additional funding to the Northern Ireland Executive to support its response to Covid-19. This has funded a range of economic interventions locally, including business rates relief, grants for businesses, and tailored support for certain sectors, such as hospitality, which have been disproportionately impacted.
These policies have kept people in work, supported their incomes and supported businesses, delivering one of the most generous and comprehensive packages of support globally.
As measures to control the virus change, it is right that Government support should also evolve. The Government keeps all policies under review, and will continue to work with businesses and representative groups to inform our efforts to support businesses.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the economic support available for Northern Irish businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Robin Walker
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government has supported businesses and employees throughout Northern Ireland. I have regular discussions with HM Treasury on economic support, and am grateful for the generous support that has been given so far.
Northern Ireland has benefited from the UK Government’s employment support package, with around one in four jobs in Northern Ireland protected by this, as well as loans and support of over £1.3billion to more than 34,000 firms across Northern Ireland. A UK-wide VAT cut and the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme have ensured that the world renowned hospitality industry of Northern Ireland can support its 65,000 workers.
In the current financial year, the UK Government also provided the Executive with £2.8 billion to respond to Covid-19. The Executive has used some of this to support businesses in Northern Ireland. In the recent Spending Review, the Chancellor announced an additional £0.5 billion of further funding for the Executive for Covid-19 in 2021/22.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to promote Northern Irish exports.
Answered by Robin Walker
Northern Ireland is brimming with potential, including world-class goods and services and as a fantastic place to work, live and visit. Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, we saw exports from Northern Ireland increasing and we are confident this will be re-established.
The UK Government is committed to supporting the NI Executive to see economic growth return and we will work closely with the Executive so that Northern Ireland and its businesses can seize the opportunities ahead, including new trading relationships. An important part of this will be working with the Department for International Trade and with the Executive authorities, including the Department for the Economy and Invest NI to champion Northern Ireland around the world as we look to see Northern Ireland’s exports increase.
Throughout the year ahead, and particularly in Northern Ireland’s centenary year, the Government will be doing everything it can to support Northern Ireland’s economic recovery and to promote its trade. As part of this, the Secretary of State is looking forward to welcoming the Board of Trade to Northern Ireland early next year.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with business representatives on the recovery of the Northern Irish economy from the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Robin Walker
Northern Ireland Office Ministers have engaged extensively and regularly with Northern Ireland business representatives and businesses through a programme of business roundtable events; individual business engagements; and webinars to inform the UK Government response to Covid-19 and economic recovery in Northern Ireland. When Covid restrictions have allowed, we have also visited Northern Ireland businesses to hear first-hand their experience and the experience of employees at this challenging time.
This Government will do everything it can to help people and businesses through this extraordinary time and businesses in Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from the Furlough Scheme, VAT reductions and the extension of bounce back loans, which have all been extended to the end of March 2021.
Businesses in Northern Ireland have always exhibited a tremendous resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity, and I have been impressed by their resilience and adaptability through this crisis. We will continue to work closely with businesses, with the Northern Ireland Executive and other local partners to get the Northern Ireland economy back up and running, to lay the foundations for economic growth and to seize the opportunities ahead.