Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps he has taken to support the expansion of university provision in Derry/Londonderry under the terms of the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

As part of our mission-led approach, this Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to address regional economic imbalances, including through good university provision in the North West.

The Derry & Strabane City and Region Deal was signed on 18 September 2024. This deal will help support university expansion in Derry/Londonderry through a £39 million investment into Ulster University’s Cognitive Analytics & Digital Robotics Innovation Centre. This is in addition to investment towards Phase 2 of the School of Medicine project, including a Medical Education Facility on the Altnagelvin Hospital site.

This Government will continue to work with the Executive to deliver high-quality university education in Derry/Londonderry, and deliver the City Deal programme to provide capital investment that supports expanded provision at Ulster University’s Magee Campus as set out in NDNA.