Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
their competitiveness and gain a larger share of international markets. In the case of established
businesses, both indigenous and externally-owned, reinvestment patterns will usually be determined by
the existing location of the business.
It should also be noted that areas such as Parliamentary Constituency Areas (PCAs) are not selfcontained
labour markets. A project assisted in a particular location has the potential to create
benefits across a much wider area. Northern Ireland is a relatively small place and evidence indicates
that many investments draw their workforce from areas beyond constituency area boundaries.
Jobs Created by InvestNI
Mr Eastwood asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pursuant to AQW 11021/11-15,
and in relation to the 89 jobs promoted in Foyle, to detail (i) the companies involved; (ii) the number of
jobs created in each company; and (iii) the number of these jobs which currently exist, broken down by
(a) full-time and part-time positions; and (b) permanent and temporary positions.
(AQW 13354/11-15)
Mrs Foster: I can confirm that 89 new full-time permanent jobs are being created across two
companies in the Foyle area. However, this information is not yet in the public domain and, as such,
I am not yet at liberty to disclose the names of the companies involved, nor the split in employment
between each nor the number of jobs which currently exist.
In addition to the 89 jobs the member refers to in his question, the original response to AQW 11021
also highlighted an additional 43 jobs promoted in the Foyle constituency by international investors
offered support through the Jobs Fund.
In the context of a continued upward trend in unemployment the Jobs Fund, which encompasses a
set of proposed measures to provide direct financial support for new job creation in the local labour
market, was launched in April 2011. Although the economic consensus is that the primary focus of
economic development policy should normally be on competitiveness, the current state of the local
labour market means that there is a need for a temporary shift in emphasis towards job creation.
In line with the Rebuilding Theme included within the Programme for Government (PfG) there is an
emphasis within the Jobs Fund to help improve ‘employment opportunities and employability’ and to
‘promote employment’ and, therefore, financial support is being provided across a range of industries
that tend to pay lower wages than the Northern Ireland average.
Jobs Created by InvestNI
Mr Eastwood asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, pursuant to AQW 11023/11-15,
why only 22 of the 978 jobs, that pay above the Private Sector Median wage, were created in the Foyle
constituency.
(AQW 13355/11-15)
Mrs Foster: The number of jobs paying above the Private Sector Median in a particular constituency
is a direct product of the total number of jobs that are promoted in that area, and the nature of the
projects undertaken by clients. As detailed in the previous answer to the member, in the case of the
Foyle Constituency, Invest NI promoted 132 jobs through offers to externally-owned businesses in
the constituency in 2011/12. On a per head of population basis this is higher than the average for
Northern Ireland as a whole; however, the mix of projects assisted in the Constituency during 2011/12
included more jobs in industries that tend to pay lower wages than the Northern Ireland average.
Invest NI has limited scope for ‘directing’ investment to specific Parliamentary Constituency Areas
(PCAs). Although it may be able to influence the location decisions of some inward-investment projects,
assistance patterns are demand-led by businesses wishing to improve their competitiveness and gain a
larger share of international markets. In the case of established businesses, reinvestment patterns will
usually be determined by the existing location of the business.
It should also be noted that areas such as PCAs are not self-contained labour markets. A project
assisted in a particular location has the potential to create benefits across a much wider area.
WA 491