Recommendation 9

City and Growth Deals have the potential to support not only sectoral growth, but growth and increased prosperity across the sub-regions of Northern Ireland. To that end, future deals might include local government to a greater extent. While current deals are focused on much-needed capital investment, there remain concerns that a complementary skills element is not in place to ensure that this investment is sustainable. Northern Ireland’s productivity and skills challenges are long-standing and well known, as are its problems with infrastructure, energy and planning. We have ongoing concerns about the Executive’s effective use of the Skills Barometer 2023–2033 and the ability to maximise the opportunities to deliver policies. Given the UK Government’s economic growth mission and the responsibilities of NIO Ministers for supporting economic growth, they cannot be ignored by Whitehall. Without the facilitating infrastructure and connectivity in place, growth will be slower and concentrated in fewer places. (Conclusion, Paragraph 58) 30