Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
Mrs Foster: Northern Ireland’s investment proposition is based on a number of factors, such as its
talented and loyal workforce, advanced telecoms and transport infrastructure, high skilled business
clusters, the pro-business environment, competitive operating costs and proximity to major markets.
Any perceived weaknesses highlighted by potential investors are captured primarily by the Investment
Managers and overseas business development executives.
Invest NI has a range of mechanisms in place to raise and address significant issues that may impact
on attracting potential investment.
Most specifically, Invest NI’s Chief Executive is a member of the NI Economic Advisory Group which consists
of a focused group of experts from economics, business and skills who provide advice to the DETI
Minister on the key issues impacting the economy and the measures required to address these issues.
In addition, Invest NI is represented on a wide range of cross Departmental bodies and working groups.
For example, there are regular formal meetings between DETI, DEL and Invest NI to discuss skills
issues and the development of policies and practices to address skills shortages in specific areas.
Invest NI continues to liaise with a number of other Departments. For example:
The Department of Regional Development over key issues of access and, in particular, air route access
to Northern Ireland;
The Department of Social Development over the implementation of those elements of Invest NI’s Jobs
Fund which are focused on Neighbourhood Renewal Areas;
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure over the development and implementation of support for
the NI
Creative Industries sector; and
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development over the development and implementation of
agri-food strategies
All-Island Single Electricity Market
Mr Allister asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment what action needs to be taken
to achieve better integration between the wholesale British Electricity Trading and Transmission
Arrangements and the Single Electricity Market on the island of Ireland, as referred to in the
communiqué following the last British-Irish Council meeting.
(AQW 13497/11-15)
Mrs Foster: My Department is working with the Utility Regulator and counterparts in Great Britain,
France and the Republic of Ireland to manage transition of the Single Electricity Market and the British
Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements and interconnection with the French market under
the move to an integrated European-wide Internal Market for electricity. This work is set against
development of a target model for the Internal Market and changes to the BETTA market from the UK
Government’s Electricity Market Reform programme.
Jobs at FG Wilson
Mr Allister asked the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment whether any of the jobs that will be
transferred out of Northern Ireland by FG Wilson were supported by InvestNI; and whether there are any
issues relating to the recovery of grant aid.
(AQW 13510/11-15)
Mrs Foster: Job creation commitments made by companies with support from Invest NI are done so
over an agreed period of time (usually in excess of 5 years). Accordingly the assessment of projects
supported is carried out over that agreed period. It is not unusual for the employment numbers to
fluctuate as companies work towards and maintain their targets. Whilst the recent announcement of
WA 494