Joint statement from Mid South West Region and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council reacting to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn’s statement in the House of Commons on the future of the Northern Ireland City Deals:

“It is an understatement that the decision by the UK Government to pause the Causeway Coast and Glens and Mid South West Growth Deals has caused uncertainty.

“We remain extremely angry that the funding committed by the UK Government is now the subject to a Spending Review by HM Treasury.

“The Government continues to blame a £22bn shortfall in its budget and a need to review funding commitments as part of its Spending Review, but it’s unlikely any of the promised £162million for both regions will be required in the Spending Review period and the Treasury know this.

“We welcome the news that the Northern Ireland Executive reaffirmed its commitment to its share of investment in the Mid South West and Causeway Coast and Glens Growth Deals this week. 

“These Growth Deals were designed to be transformative for Northern Ireland as a whole and not just the City Regions. It is hugely unfair that the UK Government would even consider withdrawing this much needed investment from these areas which will only exacerbate regional imbalance and goes against all the early pledges from the new UK Government. 

“We need all the promised funding to fully deliver transformational change and so we call on the Government to lift the pause on our growth, allocate the money in the Autumn Budget and live up to your policies. We will put this case to the Secretary of State when we meet in the coming days.”