{"primaryDescription":"<h2>Economic growth in Northern Ireland: MPs to question DBT and NIO ministers and officials</h2>\r\n<p>Ministers and officials from both the Department for Business and Trade and Northern Ireland Office will face questions from MPs as part of the committee&rsquo;s economic growth in NI inquiry.</p>\r\n<p>The session will be a chance to ask the witnesses about issues raised in the second part of the inquiry, which has been focussing on what the UK government can do to support particular growth sectors in Northern Ireland.</p>\r\n<p>The hearing will also provide an opportunity to question the panel about the <a href=\"https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cmselect/cmniaf/465/report.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">government response, published today</a>, to the <a href=\"https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9240/economic-growth-in-northern-ireland-new-and-emerging-sectors/news/212801/mps-call-for-joinedup-approach-and-onestop-shop-for-smes-to-support-economic-growth-across-northern-ireland/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">committee&rsquo;s report from March</a>which followed the first part of the inquiry.</p>\r\n<p>The report called for the UK government to ensure its economic strategy for Northern Ireland was aligned with that of the NI Executive. It also recommended greater support for small and medium-sized enterprises and a commitment to fund investment in skills and infrastructure.</p>","secondaryDescription":"<p>There are likely to be questions on the UK government&rsquo;s approach to implementing the Industrial Strategy in Northern Ireland, its plans to establish the Northern Ireland Business Support Service and how the Department for Business and Trade promotes NI as a place for inward investment.</p>\r\n<p>There could also be discussion about the Local Growth Fund. The government&rsquo;s response to the report rejected the committee&rsquo;s concerns about the impact of changes to the revenue-capital split on economic activity support programmes provided by the voluntary and community sectors.</p>","parliamentTvUrl":"https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/e249bd3e-40ad-47b9-87bc-6cfe88f54843","id":27380,"name":null,"startDate":"2026-06-29T15:30:00","endDate":"2026-06-29T18:00:00","cancelledDate":null,"locationId":3,"location":"The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House","eventType":{"id":6,"name":"Formal meeting (oral evidence session)","isVisit":false,"description":"Formal meetings may be held in private (for example to consider a draft report) or in public (for example to hear oral evidence), and require a minimum number of members to be present."},"eventSource":"CIS","committees":[{"contact":{"email":"northircom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":"Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA","contactDisclaimer":"We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone.\r\nPlease be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints."},"id":120,"name":"Northern Ireland Affairs Committee","parentCommittee":null,"subCommittees":[],"house":"Commons","leadHouse":null,"category":{"id":1,"name":"Select"},"committeeTypes":[{"id":1,"name":"(HC) Public Standing Orders - Departmental","committeeCategory":{"id":1,"name":"Select"}}],"showOnWebsite":true,"websiteLegacyUrl":"https://old.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/northern-ireland-affairs-committee/","websiteLegacyRedirectEnabled":false,"startDate":"1994-11-16T00:00:00","endDate":null,"dateCommonsAppointed":"2024-10-21T00:00:00","dateLordsAppointed":null,"scrutinisingDepartments":[],"isLeadCommittee":true,"nameHistory":[{"id":118,"committeeId":120,"name":"Northern Ireland Affairs Committee","startDate":"1994-11-16T00:00:00","endDate":null}]}],"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9240,"title":"Economic growth in Northern Ireland: new and emerging sectors","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2025-07-10T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"northircom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"childEvents":[],"nextActivity":null,"activities":[{"committeeBusinesses":[{"id":9240,"title":"Economic growth in Northern Ireland: new and emerging sectors","type":{"id":1,"name":"Inquiry","isInquiry":true,"description":"Inquiries allow committees to consider oral and written evidence on a particular topic. They usually result in the publication of a report."},"openDate":"2025-07-10T00:00:00","closeDate":null,"latestReport":null,"openSubmissionPeriods":[],"closedSubmissionPeriods":[],"nextOralEvidenceSession":null,"contact":{"email":"northircom@parliament.uk","phone":null,"address":null,"contactDisclaimer":null}}],"oralEvidences":[],"id":37567,"name":null,"startDate":"2026-06-29T16:00:00","endDate":"2026-06-29T18:00:00","eventId":27380,"isPrivate":false,"activityType":"Oral evidence","attendees":[{"displayOrder":1,"organisations":[{"name":"Department for Business and Trade","role":"Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation","idmsId":null,"cisId":96644}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":35985,"personId":null,"name":"Blair McDougall MP","photoUrl":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/5076/Thumbnail","memberInfo":{"memberFrom":"East Renfrewshire","party":"Labour","partyColour":"d50000","mnisId":5076,"isChair":false,"listAs":"McDougall, Blair","displayAs":"Blair McDougall","fullTitle":"Blair McDougall MP","addressAs":null,"house":"Commons","isCurrent":true}},{"displayOrder":2,"organisations":[{"name":"Northern Ireland Office","role":"Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/CXMESbpR","cisId":61582}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":35986,"personId":null,"name":"Matthew Patrick MP","photoUrl":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/5162/Thumbnail","memberInfo":{"memberFrom":"Wirral West","party":"Labour","partyColour":"d50000","mnisId":5162,"isChair":false,"listAs":"Patrick, Matthew","displayAs":"Matthew Patrick","fullTitle":"Matthew Patrick MP","addressAs":null,"house":"Commons","isCurrent":true}},{"displayOrder":3,"organisations":[{"name":"Northern Ireland Office","role":"Deputy Director for Windsor Framework Taskforce","idmsId":"https://id.parliament.uk/CXMESbpR","cisId":61582}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36244,"personId":51693,"name":"Paul Flynn","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null},{"displayOrder":4,"organisations":[{"name":"Department for Business and Trade","role":"Deputy Director, Industrial Strategy Implementation, Partnerships and Place","idmsId":null,"cisId":96644}],"submitterType":0,"additionalContext":null,"id":36258,"personId":7134,"name":"Sally Jones","photoUrl":null,"memberInfo":null}]}]}