Levelling up ‘must address economic inactivity and sickness rates in NI’

Economic inactivity and long-term sickness levels in Northern Ireland need to be tackled as part of the Government’s plan for levelling up the UK, a minister has told MPs.

Neil O’Brien, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that average earnings in many parts of the region are below the UK average.

In February the Government unveiled its flagship Levelling Up White Paper, setting out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts.

The committee is examining how the policies could benefit Northern Ireland.

Committee chairman Simon Hoare asked: “What does a levelled up Northern Ireland look like? What are the main challenges you have identified to delivering that vision of levelling up?”

Mr O’Brien said: “Looking around Northern Ireland you have local authorities where average earnings are between a fifth and a quarter below the UK average – some of the poorest places in the UK.

“Levelling up in Northern Ireland must involve raising productivity closer to other parts of the UK.

“While Northern Ireland has quite high qualification levels, in terms of economic inactivity and long-term sickness there is a widely recognised issue there. It is the highest (in the UK).

“But there are points of real strength in NI in the economy more broadly: there are some outstanding educational institutions, you’ve got some really leading sectors in aerospace and defence, there are some brilliant emerging sectors in fintech and agritech, and a lot of global growth potential and a highly skilled workforce.

“There is a lot of potential there and levelling up, through a number of the things that we are doing, has to involve backing those strengths and addressing those problems.

“Addressing those things are central to what a levelled-up Northern Ireland would look like.”

Mr Hoare said: “Very often when initiatives come along to parts of Northern Ireland the tendency is always to view it through the prism of is there balance between green and orange.

“Do you see the levelling-up agenda as effectively being colour blind and building on that more pan-Northern Ireland approach?”

Mr O’Brien said: “The challenges are shared by everyone in Northern Ireland.

“It is something which should work for everyone in Northern Ireland as an agenda.”