Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in Northern Ireland on city deals.

The Government has set out its commitment to work towards a ‘comprehensive and ambitious’ set of City Deals across Northern Ireland.

Officials across Whitehall are engaged with Belfast City Region as they develop their proposals for a City Deal, which my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer committed to taking forward at last year’s Budget.

I look forward to seeing Belfast City Region’s proposals for a City Deal that can drive growth and productivity across the region.