Oral Answers to Questions

Thérèse Coffey Excerpts

Wednesday 16th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Paterson]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. We are aware that such individuals fund their activities by a number of illegal means, and there has to be a question mark over them, whether they are used by criminal organisations or by paramilitary organisations. All such activities are totally and absolutely unsupportable. We have the full backing of the communities. We are talking about a tiny number of people who are not widely supported, and the way to beat them is for the people in the communities on the ground to work with the police.

[Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)]

5. What assessment he has made of future opportunities for creative industries in Northern Ireland.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

9. What assessment he has made of future opportunities for creative industries in Northern Ireland.

[The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr Hugo Swire)]

The creative industries in Northern Ireland are worth £500 million a year and employ more than the agriculture sector. The new relief announced in the Budget will assist the industry directly and help to attract further blockbuster productions such as “Game of Thrones”, which was—indeed, is—filmed in Northern Ireland, creating 800 jobs.

[Dr Coffey]

After the Oscar win for the excellent Northern Irish film “The Shore” and the financial boost given to the film industry by the Chancellor, does my right hon. Friend agree that Northern Ireland has a creative industry to be proud of, bringing in investment in skills and jobs?

[Mr Swire]

I certainly do agree, and we should not forget that for every £1 spent on the arts, the economy benefits to the tune of £3. There is absolutely no reason why the Cathedral quarter in Belfast cannot rival Temple Bar in Dublin or Covent Garden in London in terms of new creative industries and technologies, and we are very excited by that prospect.