In Financial Years 2023/24 to 2025/26, Invest Northern Ireland have supported 45 Knowledge Transfer projects, which created 45 highly skilled jobs for graduates placed in local businesses through the scheme.

In total, Invest Northern Ireland have contributed £2,026,204 towards the grant costs of these projects. Innovate UK has contributed £4,199,706, giving these projects a total grant value of £6,267,910.

This Government supports UK businesses to do business with China – while being open-eyed to any risks.

Promoting investment into Northern Ireland is a key priority for investment staff across the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Office for Investment, including the dedicated team of 10 based in Belfast (DBT NI). At present no dedicated member of staff is working specifically on The Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2025, but staff are working on wider promotion of investment into Northern Ireland on an ongoing basis that seeks to take advantage of the focus that events like The Open can provide. DBT NI continues to work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

At end February 2025 DBT had 76 FTE from across the organisation based in our Belfast Hub. There are 10 people working in the trade and investment team, who all work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

Royal Portrush will stage the 153rd Open Golf Championship in 2025, providing another outstanding showcase for golf in Northern Ireland. The 148th Open, held at Royal Portrush nine years ago, became the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, delivering a combined economic and media benefit of more than £100 million to the region.

I have asked my officials to contact Invest NI to discuss this. I would also encourage the Honourable Member to share any suggestions he has to enhance any existing investment promotion with the Department for Business and Trade.

The Growth mission is the number one priority of the Government. That is why we are working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to create a thriving, competitive and regionally balanced economy in Northern Ireland through increased investment, job creation, and higher living standards.

The Open Championship in 2025 represents an opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase its world-class tourism capabilities, scenery and outstanding golfing facilities. Royal Portrush was a successful setting for the 2019 Open Championship.

The Government would be glad to work with an incoming Northern Ireland Executive, and Northern Ireland Economy Minister, on maximising the economic benefits of the event.

The Northern Ireland Office and Department for International Trade are working closely with Northern Ireland partners, including the Executive Office, the Department for the Economy and Invest Northern Ireland, to deliver a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023. The UK Government and Northern Ireland partners will work together to deliver an event to attract international investment and to showcase Northern Ireland as a great place to live, work and do business.

Trade promotion is a devolved matter and we continue to work hard to restore a stable devolved government in Northern Ireland which can work with the UK Government to promote Northern Ireland's attractiveness for overseas investment and showcase all that Northern Ireland has to offer, including the Causeway Coast area. Arrangements for visits by Ambassadors are a matter for Invest NI and Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The recent Open Championship was a huge success, showcasing the very best of Northern Ireland and demonstrating that the region is more than up to the challenge of hosting such significant global events.

While tourism and investment remain largely devolved matters under the remit of Invest NI, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, alongside other UK Government Ministers share the ambitions of Invest NI and Tourism NI in promoting Northern Ireland as a place to invest, visit and do business.

Lord Henley, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting roundtable on 19th April in Belfast where he met the CEO of Invest NI, who chaired the meeting, BEIS also engages with Invest NI in a range of fora, including:

• Invest NI helped arrange and joined a business roundtable hosted by the BEIS Permanent Secretary during the Industrial Strategy Green Paper Consultation on 27 October 2017, this touched on EU Exit and its relevance to economic planning such as the Industrial Strategy.
• Officials have engaged with Invest NI directly as part of the Four Nations Enterprise meeting, most recently on 3^rd May.
• Invest NI are due to be part of BEIS engagement on the Business Productivity Review in Northern Ireland at the beginning of July.

BEIS officials also have regular engagement with the Northern Ireland Civil Service on key issues related to EU Exit and Northern Ireland.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a department for the whole of the UK. It supports exports from, and encourages investment to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - with the purpose of ensuring the benefits of trade and investment are spread across the whole of the UK.

DIT works closely with Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to support FDI into Northern Ireland, and to enable INI's expansion into 10 new markets this year. Of the 10 new overseas offices that INI have established, 8 are co located at British diplomatic missions abroad.

Advisers to the Board of Trade are selected through Civil Service processes, with the Board being convened by the President.

The role of Advisers to the Board of Trade, drawn from across the UK, was publically announced by the Department for International Trade on 12 October 2017.

Advisers, as prominent figures from business and politics, provide local expertise to guide the Board on trade and investment matters.

The role of the Board of Trade was widely discussed before it was reconvened, and will help to promote a culture of exporting across the whole of the UK.

There have been no discussions in relation to the ambassadorial use of HMS DUNCAN by Belfast City Council or Invest Northern Ireland.

The information requested is not held by HM Treasury, which is not a party to these contracts.

My officials have regular discussions with Invest NI officials on a number of different issues including attracting investment and access to finance. I have also met the Chief Executive at a range of events.

Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

At Autumn Statement 2014, the Government announced that the devolution of a corporation tax rate-setting power to Northern Ireland could be implemented provided that the Northern Ireland Executive is able to manage the financial implications. Following the 23 December Stormont House Agreement, the Government has announced that it will introduce and publish the Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) bill on 8 January 2015.

Treasury Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

My Department has regular discussions with Invest NI on a range of issues including the possible devolution of corporation tax. A number of discussions took place with the Chief Executive both before and after the 2014 Autumn Statement.

Most aspects of trade are a devolved responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Minister of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment, but Ministers in my Department and DETI have always worked closely to promote Northern Ireland as an excellent place to do business.

From time to time the DETI Minister Ariene Foster MLA has invited Northern Ireland Office Ministers to accompany her on trade missions. My right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), when Minister of State in my Department, was invited by Minister Foster to support a trade mission to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman in February 2012 which promoted the Northern Ireland Aerospace industry.

Ariene Foster has also invited me to join her on a trade mission later in the year promoting the best of Northern Ireland food and produce at SIAL 2014 in Paris.

The Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy, and we have regular discussions with Executive Ministers on these issues, including the contribution that Invest NI makes to promote growth and support the creation of jobs.

The Northern Ireland Executive did not ask the Prime Minister to discuss the role of Invest NI in his recent visit to Boston in which the Prime Minister promoted trade, investment and innovation in the UK through a series of events. These included promoting the GREAT campaign by travelling with HRH Prince Harry in the New Bus for London, manufactured in Ballymena and Antrim, with Invest NI backing.