6. Mr McAleer asked the Minister for the Economy for an update on Invest NI's development of a regional strategy (AQO 934/22-27)

Regional balance is a commitment in the draft Programme for Government. In line with that commitment, I announced a new approach to regional economic development last week. Invest NI subsequently launched its business strategy for consultation. In the strategy, the new regional operating model is prioritised.

The business strategy includes a commitment to increase the headcount of regional offices by an initial 40%. It also commits Invest NI to delivering 65% of its investments outside the Belfast metropolitan area by the end of the three-year period. It is the first time that Invest NI has set corporate regional targets. My Department and Invest NI are firmly committed to delivering greater regional economic balance.

I thank the Minister for his response. Will local enterprise agencies be involved in local economic partnerships?

We will work through the detail in the time ahead. I have not been very specific, other than to say to councils that it has to be a genuine partnership. It is therefore not just money to supplement what councils had already intended to spend. We anticipate and expect people who have an economic input in local areas to be part of that. The enterprise agencies have played a critical role in start-ups and in business growth throughout the areas where they are based, so I would be very surprised if they do not form part of the local economic partnerships.

Last week, the Minister announced the really welcome regional balance direction, saying that it will require recruitment of additional specialist staff. Setting aside those new staff, what further work will now be undertaken to ensure that Invest NI starts doing things differently and delivers a more efficient service, in line with the Lyons review?

Part of the work that is being developed now is a consequence of the Lyons report on Invest NI, which found that it was much too Belfast-centric. It needed a stronger and more dynamic regional presence. Critical to that are the personnel that Invest NI has in its office and what they will do. That is the discussion that we have been having.

Invest NI presented its own business plan on the heels of my announcement of our regional development plan, so we expect significant and targeted growth in activity across regional offices and specific engagement of Invest NI staff with council staff. Where there is perhaps in some council areas not the same level of economic development capacity among council staff, we expect Invest NI to support and mentor in order to raise the level of economic activity and council staff's economic skills. Moreover, we expect it to work directly with local economic partnerships to make sure that they are as adept as they can be in advancing and articulating their economic needs and that those needs are delivered on in the time ahead.